A burns victim, severely scarred by a garden fire, has told how loutish neighbours have made him feel like a freak.

Unemployed Mark Halliday, from Cawood Haven, Buttershaw, spent almost four months in hospital after flames from burning rubbish set his clothes alight.

But when he returned home, the 21-year-old, who thought the worst was behind him, found he had become a figure of fun to young adults living nearby.

He said: "This is the worst part of it at the moment. I know how disabled people must feel now.

"I'm trying to cope with it. I just think that maybe one day one of them might be unlucky enough to suffer what I have and then they'll realise what I have been going through."

Mr Halliday, an epilepsy sufferer, suffered 38 per cent burns in the accident in December - though Bradford Royal Infirmary doctors first thought he had suffered 95 per cent burns and placed him on the critical list.

His nylon T-shirt and trousers had melted to his body as he rolled around in the grass trying to extinguish the flames. His 25-year-old fiancee Christine Lee called the emergency services then wrapped him in a quilt.

He suffered injuries to his head, face, abdomen, the backs of his arms and groin and has permanent scars.

While recovering he stunned nurses by watching ITV's London's Burning to come to terms with his ordeal.

He said: "They thought I was mad, but it really helped. One episode showed a man who had gone through what I did.

"I've always watched it like some people always make sure they catch Coronation Street, and I wasn't going to miss it.

"But I still can't make a cup of tea for my mum on our gas cooker. There's no way I'm going near a flame."

After being transferred to Manchester, where he became engaged to Miss Lee in February, Mr Halliday was moved to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, where he stayed until early April.

A spokesman for LWT, makers of London's Burning, said they received many letters from hospital patients saying they watched the programme while laid up, but none from burns victims who used it as a form of therapy.

Programme producer David Newcombe said: "We are delighted London's Burning is having such a positive impact on our viewers, but we are are sorry to hear of the injuries Mr Halliday suffered."

Everyday tasks still pose problems for Mr Halliday. Stretching causes difficulties as his burned skin is not able to expand normally.

Mr Halliday plans to marry his fiancee next April.

He has bi-weekly counselling sessions at Pinderfields in Wakefield and hopes one day to work at a call centre for any of the emergency services which helped save his life.

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