A WOMAN was left fighting for life after being engulfed in flames when nail varnish remover ignited.

Maxine Bohanan was taken to hospital after the incident at her home in Constantine Avenue, Colburn, near Catterick Garrison, at 1.30am on bank holiday Monday.

She had been socialising at home when her hair, head, face, hands, arms, neck and back became covered in the flammable liquid, which ignited.

Yesterday, her boyfriend of five years, Neil Watson, a tree surgeon from Forest Drive, Colburn, appeared before Northallerton magistrates charged with grievous bodily harm with intent. Magistrates refused a request to grant Mr Watson, 40, bail and he is due to appear before Teesside Crown Court on Tuesday for a pre-trial hearing.

Ms Bohanan, 45, who ran a firm cleaning castles and historic homes, was found beside her bathroom sink by her daughter, Robyn, a barmaid at Club Louis, Catterick Garrison, who called for an ambulance.

Paramedics said Ms Bohanan, who also has a part-time job as an administrative clerk for the Army, had extensive burns to her upper body.

She was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital for treatment, but was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, because of the severity of her injuries.

Doctors said yesterday that Ms Bohanan’s condition had been life-threatening, but after being given a range of treatments she was stable.

They said that because the burns would continue to develop for several days, they would not be able to assess the extent of her injuries until later this week.

Robyn Bohanan, 22, said that despite the horrific injuries, her mother was in good spirits and was more worried about her beloved parrot, dog, guinea pigs and rabbit.

She said concerns about her mother’s welfare and a range of rumours had been building in the community after the incident, and that she felt forced to end speculation that her mother had died.

She said: “Mum won’t like coming home and being on bed rest – she is always on the go, but we are very close and I will be here to look after her.

“She absolutely loves her animals and wants to get back here to care for them, but she is going to have to stay in hospital for some time.”

Acetone, the active ingredient in nail varnish remover, is known for its extreme flammability and can explode when its concentration in the air rises above 2.5 per cent.

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