THE death of a furniture boss who suffered 97 per cent burns in a factory explosion will be investigated by environmental health officers, an inquest heard yesterday.

Nigel Peacey, of The Grove, Hartlepool, was engulfed by a fireball after the blast at Priory Pine, in West Auckland, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, on Friday.

The 58-year-old remained conscious until his death at Darlington Memorial Hospital on Saturday morning.

While in hospital, Mr Peacey, who ran Priory Pine, told police that the accident happened when he was looking for a container in his workshop adjoining the shop to steep something in overnight.

Darlington deputy coroner Kenneth Howe, referring to a statement by a police officer, said: "Mr Peacey found a container with a hard substance in the bottom which was about two inches deep.

"He needed to cut the hard substance out of the container. He got a grinder to cut the substance out and cut the drum itself, which caused a large explosion."

The inquest heard that an intensive care nurse, who stayed with Mr Peacey from the time he was admitted to Darlington Memorial Hospital until his death, identified the body.

A pathologist confirmed the cause of death was heat injury.

Mr Howe adjourned the inquest until inquiries by Wear Valley District Council's environmental health team were complete.

The furniture workshop at the side of the building, formerly a church, was severely damaged. It took five fire crews more than an hour to put out the blaze.