A GROUNDSMAN miraculously walked away unscathed from a cricket pavilion that was turned to rubble when a boiler exploded.

Stuart Wallace, 60, was sent spinning through the air for ten yards when the massive blast ripped through Bitterne cricket pavilion as he was locking up.

Amazingly he suffered only a small cut on his thumb and managed to scramble out through a fire exit door that had been blown off its hinges.

Debris, including bricks and glass, was sent flying through the air, narrowly missing families, players and people enjoying themselves at a nearby funfair.

As dazed Mr Wallace clambered out of the building a group of travellers from the fair, who were amazed at the site of him walking from the wreckage, kissed his arms and wrist.

Leading firefighter Nigel Cooper said: "It was an absolutely massive blast and there seems almost no explanation for how he managed to get out alive. It's amazing."

Father of one Mr Wallace knows what saved him though. He said: "It was my lucky number seven. I was standing outside of changing room number seven when it happened and that's what saved me.

"My whole life I have always been known as lucky number seven. I don't know why really. When I used to race for Southampton in speedway my number was always seven."

Police and firefighters first feared it was a bomb and cleared the area in case of a secondary explosion but later relaxed the cordon after gas engineers were called in to make the area safe.

The explosion, happened at 6pm on Saturday just minutes after two cricket teams had left the building.

Mr Wallace, who has worked as a groundsman for three seasons, said: "It was fortunate that the teams left early because we had run out of soap and they couldn't have a shower. There could have been around 30 guys caught up in the blast.

"I was blown from one end to the other. There was a massive noise and I thought an aircraft had hit the building at first. It was totally decimated and I could just hear and see steam hissing out of pipes.

"I slowly opened my eyes and couldn't believe that I was alive. I was a little bit stunned but generally OK. I spotted a fire exit door that seemed to have been blown open for me and I staggered out of it.

"As I emerged a few of the travellers from the fair got on their hands and knees and started kissing my arms and wrist. They were overwhelmed.

"People were looking at me agog as I walked out. Some of the travellers told me to buy a lottery ticket, but I never did!

"I just looked at the rubble and I wondered how I got alive. It really is a miracle."

Leading firefighter Cooper said: "It is amazing he got out alive and amazing no one else was hurt. There were lots of people round and debris landed up to 100ft away and in people's gardens."

Mr Wallace, of Burnetts Lane, Horton Heath, represented Southampton and Reading in the 1960s as a speedway rider and in 1963 won the national knockout cup - while wearing number seven.

He is a former merchant seaman and railway worker who is divorced.

It is not known why the boiler exploded and Southampton City Council has launched an investigation into the incident.

Council chiefs are deciding whether to arrange temporary facilities until rebuilding work, which is expected to cost thousands of pounds, is completed.