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News petrol from a car belonging to a member of his family, which was parked on his drive in Alfriston Avenue, North Harrow. Police said he was using a pump which created a spark which ignited fumes, setting him and the car alight. Relatives and neighbours rushed to his aid and managed to put out the flames, although the car continued to burn, and called police, firefighters and an ambulance. Firefighters from Harrow Fire Station extinguished the burning car and administered first aid while they waited for the ambulance. The man was taken to Northwick Park Hospital with serious burns all over his body and later transferred to a specialist burns unit in Essex. Chief Superintendent Alex Fish of Harrow police said: "This was a very tragic accident, no-one else was involved. The man is in a very critical condition with 95 per cent burns, and our thoughts go out to him and his family."
UK, December 3 2003 Northamptonshire County Council Concerns over the sale of petrol to under 16s Investigations carried out by Northamptonshire County Council trading standards officers have found some petrol stations are willing to sell petrol to under-16s. Officers carried out test purchases with a 13-year-old boy who visited six petrol stations in Corby. The boy took with him an approved petrol container and on three occasions he was authorised to buy petrol. The legal age for buying petrol is 16-yearsold. Trading standards officers carried out investigations in response to a problem with arson attacks in Corby and the possibility that in some cases petrol may have been used. Cabinet member responsible for trading standards Councillor James Ashton said: "Petrol is very dangerous in the wrong hands and it's a great worry that a 13-year-old boy was allowed to buy it. "All staff at petrol stations must know the law and ensure that they check the age of anyone wanting to buy the petrol if they have any doubts." Written cautions have been issued to the three petrol stations and their head offices and exercises will be repeated in 18
the future. Assistant divisional officer Chris Lowe, head of community fire safety, said: "If young people are able to purchase petrol this easily it can only increase the dangers not only to their community as a whole, but in particular to the young persons using it. "Petrol stations are licensed to sell petrol and in the cases reported, are clearly breaking the strict conditions of these licenses. If petrol station staff have any doubts regarding the customer's age, and proof cannot be provided, then they should refuse to sell to them. I would ask them to be extra vigilant particularly in the case of self service where age should be verified before filling commences. "Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service Petroleum inspectors will continue to work in partnership with the county council's trading standards officers to monitor the situation."
Ammanford, November 27 2003 Petrol mistake kills man and daughter A father who died with his young daughter in a house blaze after he used petrol to light a fire, an inquest has heard. Neath Cororner's Court heard how Glanville Philip Nolan, 36, made a "valiant" attempt to save his 11-year-old daughter Ella Louise when fire tore through their home Gwaun-CaeGurwen near Ammanford, in June 2003. The bodies of father and daughter were found next to each other at the doorway of the upstairs bathroom. Ella's mother Jayne Nolan, 30, told the hearing on Thursday that she had been ironing in the back room of their home when her husband rushed from the living room with a "look of horror" on his face. She had earlier asked him to make the fire because Ella had complained of feeling chilly even though it was a bright, if breezy, summer's morning. Mrs Nolan said the bottom of her husband's jeans were alight and they ran into the front garden but soon realised that Ella, Mr Nolan's adopted child, was still inside. He ran through the smoke and poison gases up the stairs while Mrs Nolan ran round to the back garden where she saw her daughter at the bathroom window. "I screamed to her to open the window," she said, but that was the last she saw of her daughter. Members of her family broke down and wept as Mrs Nolan spoke at Thursday's inquest.
Fire investigation expert John Fitzjohn of Mid and West Fire Brigade said he found it "difficult to comprehend" that two people had died in a fire during the day in a house where people had been "awake and busy." He said the "unusually rapid fire had been helped by the use of petrol." A petrol can - which was still wet around the cap - was later found in the garden shed. Mr Nolan had planned to use the petrol to destroy an ants nest in the garden. Mr Fitzjohn said that it was likely that Mr Nolan had put an unknown quantity of petrol onto the unlit fire before returning the fuel can to the shed. He had then tried to light the fire with his lighter which was later found in the ashes. But Mr Nolan had probably not realised the danger of petrol vapour moving with the light breeze when doors were opened in the house. Mr Fitzjohn said, "after he went out of doors the petrol vapour spread throughout the living room. The breeze was moving the vapour around the home. When Mr Nolan activated the lighter he lit the vapour." Recording verdicts of accidental death, Coroner Dr David Osbourne said it was a tragic accident which highlighted the danger of using petrol outdoors and indoors.
Scotland, 30 October 2003 Petrol Tanker Blaze Emergency services from across Central Scotland rushed to Kinrossshire this afternoon after a petrol tanker caught fire on a busy route. The accident happened at 12.15 on the A977, a mile west of the village of Crook of Devon, sparking an operation involving over a dozen fire, ambulance and police vehicles. It was unclear in the early stages the extent of any injuries, as fierce flames from burning vehicles hindered the operation. The tanker was carrying 18,000 litres of diesel and 20,000 litres of petrol. There were unconfirmed reports the tanker had been involved in a collision with a lorry. The road was closed as firefighters from Kinross, Perth, Dundee and elsewhere battled the blaze. Six units, including the foam tender from Dundee, were called into operation, while ambulance crews also attended, along with the special operations unit and scene managers. The Fire Brigade set up a 200m exclusion zone around the scene of the accident, and nearby houses were
