A PENSIONER from Bury suffered fatal burns after his dressing gown and pyjamas caught fire, an inquest was told.

Retired father Frank Moore, aged 73, who had been putting a piece of wood on the fire last Christmas, never gave an explanation for what happened.

But son Jack Moore told coroner Leonard Gorodkin his father had a habit of stamping down logs on the fire with his foot.

Mr Moore, of Heywoods Farm, Birtle Road, Birtle, sustained severe burns to 23 per cent of his body and died in Withington Hospital nearly a month later.

Recording an accident verdict, the coroner said it seemed likely Mr Moore's clothing caught fire after stamping down a piece of wood.

Pyjamas

Mr Moore's son told the hearing he found his father on fire in the living room.

He said: "Dad's pyjama bottoms had been completely burned off and his socks and slippers were burning.

"I smothered the flames with my body warmer and my wife doused him in water."

He noticed the fireguard had been pushed to one side and a new piece of wood was on the fire.

Mr Gorodkin said the burns were so serious there had been little chance of Mr Moore, who had heart and sight problems, surviving his ordeal.