The woman suffered third-degree burns at Dungeness

A woman has suffered serious burns after a portable gas barbecue exploded on Dungeness beach this afternoon.

The 39-year-old was changing a cylinder when some o the gas escaped and was ignited by the hot coals.

The explosion has left her with third-degree burns to her arm and leg.

The blaze also singed the chest, face and eyebrows of the woman's 60-year-old father, who was standing nearby.

The pair were treated by ambulance crews at the scene at about 1.10pm and the woman was taken to hospital for further treatment.

The rest of the family were given precautionary checks.

Lydd fire crew manager Phil Usher said: "This was an extremely unfortunate incident and serves as a warning that gas barbecues must be treated with extreme caution, as even a small amount of escaped gas can be ignited by hot coals.

"Our advice is to always follow the manufacturers' operating instructions and to ensure that the gas tap is always turned off before changing a cylinder, even if you believe it to be empty."