A HAMPSHIRE man is lucky to be alive today after a suspected gas explosion ripped through his house.

Neighbours rushed to pull Tony Lockyer, 39, through a small hole in the front door of his collapsing home after they were woken by a huge bang.

Mr Lockyer was taken to Southampton General Hospital suffering from burns to his feet after the explosion in Lincoln Close, Romsey at 6am.

Police cordoned off four houses in the road until safety experts could assess the damage in the light later today.

Next-door neighbours Paul and Diane Phippen and their four children had to evacuate their house for fear it might be in danger too.

Mr Phippen, 39, said: "I just heard an explosion so I ran downstairs, went through the back and saw the patio doors from next-door were on the lawn.

"I went in the house, got as far as the hall and the lounge door, but the handle was nowhere to be seen so I called out Tony's name but he had already been pulled out through the front."

"I came outside to the front and he was lying on the ground with blankets over him."

Mrs Phippen, 37, said: "I thought it was a double explosion. I opened the window and a neighbour said, 'We have called the fire brigade. Get out'. I grabbed the children and got out as fast as we could.

"It was an awful bang. I was concerned about our own house but now I'm more concerned for Tony."

Rachel Brown, 40, who lives opposite with her husband David, said: "My husband was going out the front door to go to work when the house went bang. He pulled Tony out with the help of another neighbour. His feet were on fire but Tony said he wanted to go back in and get some clothes because he didn't have anything on.

"My husband told him not to be stupid but Tony did go back in and get some clothes and they pulled him back out again. We laid him on the pavement covered in blankets."

Another neighbour, Julia Barnes, 29, said: "All I heard was Dave next door saying, 'Tony get out.' I looked out the window and Tony was climbing through the front door. I thought I was dreaming to start with but we saw flames coming out the back and that's when we thought we had better move Tony further back. We thought the whole lot was going to go up."

Assistant divisional officer David Lock said: "It appears to be a gas explosion. However we are not sure and until we get building control and the gas company here we will not know for certain."