PAUL Benns, who nearly lost his life in a giant explosion at his room in The Pines Hotel, Chippenham, has been remanded in custody after admitting causing the blast.

The explosion at the hotel on Marshfield Road, which happened in November last year, is thought to have been caused by lighter fuel.

The 42 year-old was rushed to the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol where his condition was described as critical after he suffered 40 per cent burns.

At Swindon Crown Court he has pleaded guilty to a charge of arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The hotel's 22 occupants had to be evacuated from the premises and the road outside closed following the blast, when fire fighters in breathing apparatus put out the blaze.

Residents in neighbouring rooms at the hotel told of a loud blast coming from Benns' room followed by screams at 9.30pm on Thursday November 7 last year.

Ted Whitlock, 45, whose room was along the corridor, said he found Benns badly burned and hunched in a ball outside the room.

"I opened the door of my room and saw Paul outside his room saying 'help me, help me,'" he said shortly after the incident. "There was no skin left on his lower body from his thighs down.

"The last time I'd seen him he had hair and a beard but they'd gone.

"It didn't look like the Paul I knew outside the door. Until he spoke I didn't know who it was.

"He's a nice guy and he keeps himself to himself mostly."

Hotel manager Kewl Rama said he was alerted to the blaze in Benns' room by smoke detectors and put out the fire with a blanket before closing the door.

"When I arrived I saw Paul sitting in a ball saying 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry,'" he said.

"I never had any trouble with Paul and he was very nice to talk to. He just did his own thing."

At the time of the blast, divisional fire officer John Drew said: "There was quite a severe fire on the first floor in the rear of the building.

"That was quickly extinguished by fire fighters with hose reels and breathing apparatus.

"I'm almost certain it was a fire caused by lighter fuel.

"There were a number of lighter fuel cans in there.

"We don't know what the ignition was because there was a fair amount of damage caused to the room itself.

"Like most lighters, whether gas or petroleum, there's petrol fumes and in the right concentrations they're flammable."

Benns was remanded in custody for pre-sentence reports to be prepared. He is due for sentencing late in April.