SHOCKED neighbours have described how they heard a 'massive' bang as a garden bonfire flashed up into the face of a father-of-three, leaving him with severe injuries.

The man, believed to be in his mid-30s, had been emptying a shed by throwing containers with remnants of paint thinners onto the fire when it happened shortly after 9.30pm yesterday in Mortimer Avenue, Bradford Moor.

Teenage neighbour Jack Waddington, 14, said he was upstairs when he heard the bang.

"I heard a massive bang and went to lookout of the back window. It was the man from next door, he was running away from the fire back towards his house. Embers were flying all over and starting other small fires."

His nana Sharon McDonald, 57, was downstairs at the time and said suddenly within minutes there were lots of blue lights flashing out in the street.

"There were loads of people, kids on bikes, people coming out to see what was happening. Firemen were going in and out of the garden. The neighbour's son had to get the two dogs out of the garden first before they could go in. It was shocking, a full-on drama."

Another neighbour who watched the drama unfurl was 16-year-old Harry Kenehan who lives opposite. His family thought it was thunder and lightning at first.

He filmed the scene on his mobile phone in the video below.

Harry said he saw paramedics help the injured man into the back of an ambulance.

"We thought all the flashing lights and noise was thunder at first until we looked out and saw lots of police, firemen and ambulance and realised something bigger was going on.

"I saw him come out to the ambulance. He was walking by himself but they were helping him. He was carrying his own bag. I heard him tell someone he had slipped," he said.

A shopkeeper from the street, who did not want to be named, said he thought he knew the man who was a customer and believed he was originally from Morocco.

"I'm very sad for him. I hope he will be okay," he said.

Other people in the street said the family had lived in Mortimer Avenue for a number of years and the father worked as a handyman all over Bradford.

A spokesman from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: "On arrival crews found that male occupant had thrown containers with remnants of paint thinners/turpentine on the bonfire which had ignited and flashed over causing severe burns to the occupant's face."

The man's burns were to his face and mouth. He is still being treated at the burn's unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, added the spokesman.