POLICE say that a drunken 21-year-old man suffered burns to his ankles after he stood on lighted petrol in a filling station.

The emergency services were called to Queenborough Service Station on Sheppey after staff reported the man had set fire to the can himself and was sitting on the pavement next to it.

Members of an ambulance crew attended and alerted the fire service, but when firefighters arrived the blaze had been extinguished. The man was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital with 10 per cent burns to his ankles.

Sub Officer Chris Lawrence said that he was found near to the entrance of the station so there wasn't any risk of igniting the petrol pumps.

Staff at the service station said they were shocked by Saturday's incident. The manageress said: "He bought the petrol can from the store, walked across the forecourt, set light to it and then stood on it.

"It's not the sort of thing you expect to see and was a big shock for the two girls working here."