A HAMPSHIRE man who could have been killed when a suspected gas explosion ripped through his house has thanked his neighbours for helping with his dramatic escape.

Tony Lockyer, 39, suffered only minor burns to his feet and hands in the blast which destroyed his house.

He was in bed asleep at 5.45am yesterday when the explosion happened downstairs, causing a hole in the roof, walls to split, windows to smash and the house to fill with flames.

Mr Lockyer, a warehouse supervisor, of Lincoln Close, Romsey, said: "I was woken by a loud explosion so I got out of bed and just saw this fireball coming upstairs. I legged it downstairs and the carpet was burning so I burnt my feet. I realised I didn't have any clothes on so stupidly I turned around and went back up again. I threw some clothes on and came back downstairs, and the neighbours helped me smash my way through what was left of the front door."

Two of his neighbours gave him first aid on his burnt feet and laid him on the ground covered in blankets until an ambulance came.

He was treated at Southampton General Hospital for burns and released at about 10am.

Mr Lockyer, who is staying with his brother nearby and has lived in the house for 13 years, said: "I just want to say thanks to my neighbours. They are all really good people. I'm alive, so I'm happy.''

"I've just got slight burns to my feet and hands - nothing serious, but looking at the house I think I got away lightly. Everything is destroyed, upstairs and down, but my things can be replaced - I'm alive so I'm happy."

Firefighters from Romsey and Eastleigh took nearly 45 minutes to bring the fire under control in the lounge at the back of the end-of-terrace house.

Contractors for Test Valley council were called to board up the building and make it safe.

Graham Murrell, the council's building control manager, said it would probably have to be demolished and rebuilt.

Gas company Transco evacuated the nextdoor house, belonging to Paul and Diane Phippen and their four children, while investigations into the blast continued yesterday afternoon.

The family was due to be allowed back into the house last night, after a clean-up operation by Transco.

Transco spokesman Neil Branson said investigations would continue today into the cause of the blast and a report would be handed to the Health and Safety Executive.