Horrified staff saw a young woman plunge in flames from a roof at the hospital where she was a patient, a Bradford inquest heard.

Nurses at Lynfield Mount Hospital in Bradford had tried to persuade 33-year-old Tracey Adams to come down. But as the emergency services arrived, she used a cigarette lighter to ignite her petrol-soaked clothing.

After taking several steps, she fell 15 feet to the ground, suffering severe head injuries, and died five days later in hospital.

Recording an accident verdict on Miss Adams, of Bowling Old Lane, Bradford, Coroner Roger Whittaker said he believed her actions had been a "continuing cry for help."

The inquest was told that Miss Adams had a history of depression and self-harm which had led to her being admitted to the hospital more than 50 times over a ten-year period.

At the time of her death last July she was an informal patient and had returned two days early from home leave.

Staff nurse Deborah Gray said Miss Adams went to her ward that afternoon, rang the buzzer, and told her: "I can smell burning, but it's not me yet."

She then saw Miss Adams' clothing was stained and she was running away with a petrol can in her hand.

Other staff were immediately alerted and followed Miss Adams, trying to engage her in conversation, but she told them she would set fire to herself if anybody came near.

She was eventually persuaded to remove some of her petrol-stained clothes and a nightie was thrown up to her.

"As she took the nightie the fire service and ambulance arrived and I felt that created quite a lot of stress for Tracey," said Staff Nurse Gray. There was more conversation but Miss Adams, who had a cigarette lighter in her hand, was suddenly engulfed in flames.

She held her hands in the air and staggered across the flat roof, the momentum carrying her over the edge.

Ruling out suicide, the Coroner said Miss Adams had earlier been drinking alcohol and had splashed herself substantially with petrol.

In the "anguish of the moment" after igniting herself, she had stumbled and fallen off the roof, he added.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.