A man has died after suffering horrific burns when he was turned into a human torch as he desperately tried to escape a blaze at his home.

A neighbour who went into the burning house in a bid to rescue him has told of his horror at being confronted with the sight of his flaming body.

The victim was engulfed in flames as he battled to break out of the back door of the house in Lidget Green by smashing windows.

When firefighters arrived, they broke windows in the house in Scholemoor Road and got the man out, but he had suffered 90 per cent burns to his body and died later in hospital.

Neighbour, Mohammad Azad, discovered the fire in the early hours of Saturday morning and raised the alarm before trying to get into the building through the front door.

When he managed to get inside, he was faced with billowing smoke but was just able to make out the man who, to his horror, was on fire and attempting to smash the back door window.

Mr Azad, 37, said: "I called the fire service as soon as I saw the smoke.

Then I went to check the front door and could see him at the back door on fire.

"He looked as if he was trying to get out, but the curtains were alight as well by now."

Mr Azad discovered the fire after he heard screaming coming from inside the house.

Crews from Fairweather Green and Odsal were called to the scene at 12.15am, along with paramedics who rushed the man, believed to be in his 40s, to Bradford Royal Infirmary.

He was later transferred to the specialist burns unit at Pinderfields hospital in Wakefield, where he died late on Saturday night.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Fire Service said an investigation has been launched into the cause of the blaze.

He said: "The gentleman was very seriously injured and therefore we always bring in the fire investigation unit and the police to fully investigate.

"The man was found in the lounge by the fire crews.

"We responded to the incident after a person reported it and on arrival we were given information by a paramedic that someone was seen and could be heard in the house."

It is believed the man only moved into the privately-rented property in the past week.

The crew smashed the upstairs windows and used fans to clear the smoke-logged house.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed an investigation into the cause of the fire had been launched.

He said: "The gentleman suffered terrible injuries and has, sadly, passed away. The coroner has been informed and an inquest into the man's death will be opened in due course."

e-mail:james.rush @bradford.newsquest.co.uk