Paul Benns, who blew up his hotel room in a failed suicide bid, has escaped a jail term after admitting arson.

Benns caused the explosion at his room at The Pines Hotel in Chippenham when he put a cigarette lighter to a canister of butane gas. The force and heat from the blast were so severe that plastic fittings in his room as well as the emergency exit light in the corridor over his door melted.

Benns suffered 40 per cent burns landing him in hospital for more than two months.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court: "Mr Benns was in room seven on the first floor. On November 7 last year, there were about six or seven residents, plus the owner on the premises.

"It was known that Mr Benns had a habit of sniffing lighter gas. At about 9.40pm a loud bang, which transpired to be an explosion, occurred. Some residents heard screaming and Mr Benns was found outside his room in considerable distress, burnt, blistered and obviously in considerable pain.

"He indicated that his principle intention had been to kill himself."

Mr Meeke said the hotel's owner saw a small flame burning in the room which he quickly extinguished.

Mr Meeke said a fire investigator's report was compiled and the blast was found to have melted the shower cubicle and plastic fittings. It also caused some soot damage to other rooms, as well as melting the sign in the corridor.

When Benns was questioned by police he told them he had been trying to kill himself. Mr Meeke said: "He acknowledged that he had been abusing butane gas for some time and said life had reached such a sorry pitch for him he wanted to take his own life."

At an earlier hearing Benns, who had one previous conviction from three year ago for indecent exposure, admitted arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

After hearing that Benns still presented a high risk to the public, Judge Mark Dyer put him on a three-year probation order. He said he must live where directed by the Probation Service, co-operate with them and submit to treatment from his psychiatrist.

He said "I accept that your real intention was to cause injury to yourself and to kill yourself."