An elderly woman was pulled from her burning home by two police officers today after it was rocked by an explosion.

The 80-year-old suffered severe burns to her head and back in the blast at her semi-detached house in Rimswell Holt, Ravenscliffe, Bradford.

The force of the explosion, shortly after 8.40am, shattered the window of the kitchen at the front of the house strewing glass and debris 30 metres across the pavement and road.

The woman, who has not been named but lives alone, was found badly injured but conscious by the police officers and neighbour Mick Gill, who lives opposite.

The officers, PC Steve Suggitt and PC Julian Townsend, who were called to the scene after neighbours raised the alarm, broke into the house and pulled the woman away from the burning kitchen.

She was laid in the garden and comforted until paramedics arrived and took her to Bradford Royal Infirmary. She was described as being in a critical condition today.

"The officers acted very courageously without thought or fear for their own safety," said a spokesman from West Yorkshire police.

Mr Gill, 59, said the woman appeared to be very badly injured with severe burns to her head and upper body.

"The smoke was so thick in the house that she would have been dead in minutes if the policemen hadn't managed to get her out. I have never seen anything like it," he said.

Mr Gill's wife Lynda, 56, was in the garden watching the West Yorkshire police helicopter fly overhead when she heard the blast.

"There was a huge explosion," she said

"I looked up and saw glass flying across the road and the curtains on fire.

"Then we heard the woman shout: 'Oh, bloody hell'. She's severely deaf so she always talks very loudly.

"Mick then said: 'She's still in there' and he went to help as the police car pulled up.

"I just hope the woman is all right, poor love."

Firefighters from Idle, Bradford, and Rawdon were called to the scene. They were later joined by specialist fire investigators and Transco engineers.

Nigel Craven, of West Yorkshire fire investigation team, said the house had a gas cooker and gas heating but it was too early to say what had caused the blast.

Police cordoned off the road in front of the house as investigations continued. It meant some bus services being diverted.