Two quizzed over fancy dress fire

The student was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol

Police have arrested two teenagers in connection with an incident in which a Bath University student suffered serious burns when his Halloween costume caught fire.

The pair being questioned at the city's police station are also students at the university.

The 18-year-old victim had used tissue paper to create the mummy outfit for a fancy dress party.

The incident happened in the early hours of Friday in his seventh-floor room at the university's Norwood House hall of residence.

Hall evacuated

Firefighters were called and the student, from Porthcawl in south Wales, was taken to hospital suffering from burns to his thighs, arms, back and neck.

Investigators were still working to establish the exact cause of the fire, said a spokesman for Avon Fire Brigade.

The student's room was damaged but no-one else was injured.

University spokesman Paul Elmer said the teenager was in his room with several friends after the party when the fire started.

Wrapped in duvets

"We know that the student was dressed as a mummy, possibly wrapped in tissue or toilet paper.

"He was on fire at some point and suffered 30% burns.

"The other students wrapped him in duvets to put the fire out, but he was still very uncomfortable and on the floor when the fire service arrived."

'Severe pain'

Mr Elmer said all 120 students in the hall of residence were moved to the university library when the alarm was sounded.

Tim Wood, fire brigade spokesman, said firefighters doused the student in water as soon as they arrived at the campus.

He had staggered out into the corridor and was in severe pain.

The student, in his first year of an architecture and civil engineering course, was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol where he was undergoing surgery.

He was said to be in a serious but not life-threatening condition.