Woman ‘critical’ after setting herself on fire

Sep 15 2007 by Paula Owens, Liverpool Daily Post

A WOMAN who doused herself with petrol and set herself alight is in a critical condition.

The 50-year-old set fire to herself in the car park of Whiston hospital in front of shocked onlookers on Thursday night.

Bystanders ran to help the woman, trying to put out the fire using coats, a fire blanket and extinguishers, but were beaten back by the flames.

Doctors rushed to her aid and she was taken by ambulance to casualty.

Christos Spyrou, 48, of Lydiate, said about 30 patients, staff and visitors watched in horror as the woman set herself on fire and collapsed to the ground.

“By the time we had put her out she was on the ground twitching, shaking and barely breathing.

“Three of us worked together to try to put the fire out. We couldn’t really get anywhere near her because the flames were so bad and I felt so helpless.”

The unnamed woman was a mental health outpatient with Five Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust, which has facilities in the grounds of the hospital.

A spokeswoman for Five Boroughs said last night the woman was “well known to staff”.