A MAN who was trying to kill himself when he caused an explosion in a town centre hotel hopes to avoid a prison term.

Paul Benns suffered 40 per cent burns in his failed suicide bid at The Pines Hotel, on Marshfield Road, Chippenham, in November last year.

The hotel's 22 occupants had to be evacuated from the premises and the road outside closed following the blast.

The 42-year-old, who has admitted arson with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered, hopes to avoid a prison term.

At Swindon crown court on Friday, Kate Brunner, defending, asked for the case to be adjourned so her client could find accommodation and have the option of being given a community sentence.

She said that people from the Stoneham Project in Trowbridge would visit Benns in prison, where he has been on remand since January, to assess whether he is suitable to live there.

Miss Brunner said she hoped he could then be sentenced to a probation order with a condition that he attend psychiatric treatment as directed.

The court was told Benns was taken to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol following the blast and was first remanded in custody when he appeared before magistrates on January 17.

Last month he pleaded guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody for reports.

Residents in neighbouring rooms at the hotel told of a loud blast coming from Benns' room, followed by screams, at 9.30pm on November 7 last year. Ted Whitlock, 45, whose room was along the corridor said he found Benns badly burned and hunched in a ball outside his room.

"I opened my door and saw Paul outside his room saying "help me, help me"," he said shortly after the incident.

"There was no skin left on his lower body from the thighs down. The last time I'd seen him he had hair and a beard but they'd gone.

"It didn't look like the Paul I knew. Until he spoke I didn't know who it was.

"He's a nice guy and he mostly keeps himself to himself."

Hotel manager Kewl Rama said he was alerted to the blaze in Benns' room by smoke detectors and put out the fire with a blanket before closing the door.

"When I arrived I saw Paul sitting in a ball saying "'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"," he said.

"I never had any trouble with Paul and he was very nice to talk to, he just did his own thing."

At the time of the blast Divisional Fire Officer John Drew said: "There was quite a severe fire on the first floor in the rear of the building.

"That was quickly extinguished by firefighters with hose reels and breathing apparatus.

"I'm almost certain it was a fire caused by lighter fuel.

"There were a number of lighter fuel cans in there.

"We don't know what the ignition was because there was a fair amount of damage caused to the room.

"Like most lighters, whether gas or petroleum, there are petrol fumes and in the right concentrations they are flammable."

After hearing Miss Brunner's request, the judge agreed to put the case off for two weeks.