Man in human torch tragedy

The scene at the site of the tragedy yesterday

A MAN has died after apparently setting himself on fire just yards from an Oldham primary school.

Children at St Stephen and All Martyrs School, Shaw Street, were inside having lessons. However, they are not believed to have witnessed the horrific incident as firefighters put out the flames.

Emergency services were called to fields next to the school at 9.20am yesterday after the man became a human fireball.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but the man was confirmed dead a short time later.

Police are continuing their inquiries but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. The man has yet to be identified.

Officers visited near-by homes to ask residents if they had seen or heard anything. But police said these were routine inquiries to establish if the man was known in the area or had been seen beforehand. A post mortem examination is expected to be carried out today before the case is handed over to Oldham’s coroner.

The school’s head teacher, Sally Whitehead, said she believed the incident happened just outside the school grounds, on Oldham Edge playing fields.

She said staff and pupils were safely inside the school at the time, so did not witness the gruesome scene.

She added: “The children are well protected here.

“Some have asked us why the ambulances were here and I may take a special assembly once I know the facts.”

The area was quickly inundated with police, fire and ambulance crews but they had all left before parents arrived at the end of the school day.