Man injured in gas blast

Fire crews said one person was treated for burns

A man has been hurt in a gas explosion which ripped the roof off a bungalow near Braintree in Essex on Monday.

Firefighters were called to the blast at the council bungalow in Church Street in Bocking just before 0500 GMT.

A 55-year-old man was rescued from his kitchen by a passer-by and taken to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford suffering from burns to his head and arm.

A spokeswoman for Essex Ambulance Service said: "He was extremely traumatised as a result of the explosion."

Neighbours evacuated

A spokeswoman for Braintree District Council said the couple living next door had been found alternative accommodation.

She said: "The Health and Safety Executive have been here to inspect the site and have now left.

"We have now started clearing the site where we can and have put up a fence around for security.

"We don't know if it will need to be demolished or can be rebuilt."

She added that the man is likely to stay in hospital until the end of the week.