FIREFIGHTERS in Clacton were called when a man suffered flash burns... after chasing a spider.

The 28-year-old man was sent into the bathroom to capture a spider seen by his wife.

He tried to spray the bug with an aerosol to force it out from behind the toilet bowl.

When this failed, the man flicked on his lighter as the bathroom bulb had blown in their house in Oxford Road.

The resulting explosion flung the man back into the hallway and gave him flash burns on his head, legs and torso.

Two appliances from White Watch attended the incident after his wife raised the alarm, but the fire was out before crews arrived at the scene on Monday.

They gave first aid to the man, who had jumped in the shower to relieve his burns, until ambulance crews arrived. He was taken to Colchester General Hospital for treatment.

A spokeswoman for Essex Fire and Rescue Service warned the public about the risk of using aerosols with a naked flame.

“We would always recommend that people use a torch if the lights have gone out,” she said.

“We are not entirely sure if the spider got away or not, but there was no sign of it at the scene.”