Ref. 30931-81Smoker John Clarke was minutes from death after he fell asleep holding a lit cigarette.

The 55-year-old, of Manchester Road, Swindon, has told how he feared for his life after his home caught fire on Friday and that he can't escape from his horrifying flashbacks.

He said the smoke was so dense he couldn't see anything in his bedsit, and breathing in felt as though his lungs were on fire.

Mr Clarke, a former genetic researcher, is recovering in Swindon's Great Western Hospital after spending five days in intensive care.

He said: "It was terrifying and it scares me to death when I think about it now.

"I seem to have blacked out a couple of days. I remember watching television in bed and then waking up in intensive care with tubes and drips coming out of my body.

"I've started having horrible flashbacks of stumbling around the room and not being able to see anything because of the smoke.

"I felt as though I had fire in my lungs, although I don't remember seeing flames in the room.

"Another couple of minutes I'd have been dead. There's no question the paramedics, firemen and intensive care staff saved my life.

"I feel really rough now. My chest hurts, I can't talk that well and I'm having problems walking because I've had two hip replacements.

"I think something must have happened when I was rescued, but I'm just glad to be out.

"All that for the sake of a cigarette."

The 20-a-day smoker has vowed never to light up again and is hoping his experience serves as a warning to others.

He added: "I hope no one has to go through what I experienced.

"The simple message is don't smoke, or at least make sure you're not tired when you do."

Neighbours tried to reach the divorcee after they saw smoke billowing out of his ground floor room but they were beaten back by the dense smoke and intense heat.

Firefighters were able to enter the room and pull him to safety.

Neighbour Terry McCullock, 51, who lives in the flat above, said he saw smoke coming from under Mr Clarke's door.

He said: "I opened the door but couldn't see anything because the room was dense with smoke.

"I could hear coughing coming from inside so I knew John wasn't dead, but I couldn't get inside."

Tony McCluskey, Jupiter ward manager at the Great Western Hospital, said: "Mr Clarke is coming along nicely and rehabilitating very well.

"He certainly had a lucky escape. A little good has come of this though as Mr Clarke said he has given up smoking."

Alex Emery