A BOY of 12 is being treated for serious burns after a gas canister exploded in his bedroom causing a “ferocious” fire.

Jordan Stickells, a pupil at the Abbey School at Faversham, is having skin grafts in a special unit of Queen Victoria Hospital at East Grinstead in West Sussex.

Jordan was was preparing his fishing tackle when the cannister exploded at his home in Faversham's Hazebrouck Road. He had to leap out of his bedroom window and a neighbour used a ladder to help him down from the porch roof.

The house is gutted and his mother and two sisters have been forced to stay with neighbours.

Neighbour Linda Groves said: “The fire was absolutely ferocious. There was black smoke pouring out of the windows and the flames were 10ft high.

“The poor lad was really shocked, he just said “I’m sorry” but it wasn’t his fault. Bless him, he was just getting his fishing tackle ready and it blew up.

“His mum is devastated. All she’s got is her dressing gown and a pair of jeans. You could see the flames for miles and lots of people came to see what was happening. The fire brigade were marvellous.”

Neighbour Mike Stratford, who lives in the adjoining semi, said he and his family had to be evacuated.