A young man’s birthday started horribly when he accidentally caught his leg alight.

The 23-year-old was trying to put out a fire in a petrol can when the flames caught his clothing alight.

The man, who has not been named, told fire fighters he had found the fuel container alight on the green in Wouldham High Street, Rochester, at about 1am this morning.

But in his attempt to douse down the flames, he kicked the can over and the fire spread on his clothing and burnt his leg.

Strood fire fighters were called to the scene as paramedics tended to the man’s injuries, before he was taken to hospital suffering from burns.

It is not thought the man suffered serious injuries during the incident and by the time firefighters arrived the flames had already been put out.