A man badly burned after using petrol to light a barbecue today warned others not to make the same mistake.

The married sales manager, 54, of Halifax Road, Nelson, was rushed to Burnley General Hospital with burns to his arms and legs after the incident at his home shortly before 5pm yesterday.

Firefighters used a first-aid kit and an aqua pack to treat the man at the scene.

The kitchen was also damaged by smoke and fire.

The man, who asked not to be named, said: "I feel really stupid and embarrassed by what's happened, although it could have been a lot worse.

"We were having a family barbecue and I thought to get it going I would use a bit of petrol, but then there was a huge ball of fire so I dropped the petrol can and the flames ran up my leg.

"I was trying to undo my belt buckle to get my jeans off because they were on fire but the flames burnt right through my trouser leg and the skin on my leg just fell off.

"It was very frightening. My wife was screaming because the petrol was spilling along the ground and the fire was spreading up the wall of the kitchen.

"It's annoying because I am usually so cautious and I certainly won't be doing that again.

"It has put me off having barbecues for a while and I would certainly urge others to be very careful."

A spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue said: "This was a very serious incident that has resulted in nasty injuries for the man involved.

"Every summer family barbecues are brought into the garden and can be great fun, they can also become potentially dangerous.

"Every year we warn people the combination of a party atmosphere and an open fire can quickly cause a tragic accident."

The warning comes as hundreds of people in East Lancashire lit up their barbecues and enjoyed the scorching summer temperatures over the weekend.

And with the good weather set to continue it is hoped people will use caution before lighting up the charcoal.

Every year around 400,000 people need medical treatment following accidents in the garden. Misuse of garden equipment and tools results in five deaths. And barbecues alone lead to up to 1,000 injuries a year.