A DIY enthusiast is in hospital with serious burns after an explosion at his home while he was working in the kitchen.

It is believed the blast was caused when highly-flammable fumes from tile sealer ignited. It blew out four windows, made the roof rise and cracked the back wall.

Grandad Michael Holding, 50, suffered serious burns to 20 per cent of his body including his hands, feet and face. His wife Sharon, 52, who was upstairs having a bath at the time, received burns to her hands.

Both were taken to hospital in Bury and later transferred to the specialist burns unit at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Self-employed mechanic Mr Holding is in a ‘stable’ condition. His wife, who has been treated and discharged, is at his bedside.

The house on Lichfield Road, Radcliffe, is now on a hydraulic lift to make sure it remains structurally stable.

The couple’s daughter, Sharri-ann Sedman, 29, rushed 200 miles with her husband Michael, 30, from their home in Salisbury to Wythenshawe Hospital.

She was relieved to find out that they were both alive as she ‘expected the worst’.

She said: “When we received the call from the fire brigade we weren’t too sure what to expect, but naturally you expect the worst. What would you think if you were told your parents’ house had just exploded?”

She said of her father: “Looking at the damage the explosion caused and where he was at the time it’s a miracle he’s still alive.

“He’s suffered really bad burns to his hands and his feet and it looks like he will be in hospital for a while.”

“My mum suffered some burns to her hands but she is more in shock than anything else.”

Mrs Sedman said her father knew the sealant was flammable and took precautions by opening windows to allow the fumes to escape. But because of the large amount of sealant used throughout the house, there were still fumes in the property. It is believed the blast was caused by an open flame – although neither of the couple smoke.

Tony Hunter, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We believe the explosion was caused by the build-up of gases from the sealer within the house.

“The explosion was an accident and we are currently investigating the electrics within the house, including the fuse box and the cooker, to determine what caused the explosion.

“It is extremely rare for something like this to happen.”

National Grid officials inspected the property but found no gas escapes and taped off the property and the adjoining house.

It is not believed there is any structural damage to the neighbouring property.

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