A MAN was badly hurt when a gas explosion ripped through his home this week.

Unemployed joiner Geoff Wilkinson suffered serious burns and other injuries in the mystery blast in Westfield Way, Dormanstown, near Redcar.

The explosion, on Tuesday afternoon is being investigated by police and firefighters.

Neighbours ran with towels and water to help Mr Wilkinson, 42, who they found rolling in agony on the ground in his back garden, with burns to his face, head and back.

Sarah Purvis, who was visiting her mother next door, said: "My sister phoned 999 and the ambulance crew told us what to do, to douse him in water and cover him in towels.

"He wasn't on fire when we got to him, but he was badly burnt and singed and in shock.

"My son usually plays here just outside the house. It doesn't bear thinking about what could have happened if he'd been out here playing."

Another neighbour used a fire extinguisher to try to put out the fire inside the house.

Della MacKenzie said: "I thought it was an earthquake. It felt like the house was moving."

Kevin Harrison, station manager at Middlesbrough for Cleveland Fire Brigade, said: "We believe the explosion was caused by some form of gas and are investigating the exact cause.

"The house is significantly damaged: it's got very bad structural damage. The whole roof has been slightly lifted and the walls pushed out at the tops by the force of the explosion. The council have been out to look at it."

Firefighters gave Mr Wilkinson oxygen, before he was taken to hospital.

Transco emergency engineers isolated the gas supply to the house, but were unable to find any fault with the mains system.

Mr Wilkinson's condition was said to be comfortable in the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.