A MAN who doused himself in white spirit and set himself on fire after being seen at hospital 30 times for self-harm did not mean to kill himself, an inquest ruled last week.

Mark Foster, aged 39, of Ottawa Road, Weston, covered himself in the highly-flammable liquid and set himself on fire on January 28.

He called 999 that evening and told a helpless operator that he was covering himself in ‘the stuff used to clean paintbrushes’ before he set himself alight.

He said: “It’s painful but I need to get away from it all.”

The operator was forced to listen as Mr Foster burned his legs, as he said: “Everyone hates me, I don’t want to be here, no-one understands me, you’ll find me dead.”

He is then believed to have started the fatal fire.

Statements read to the inquest said Mr Foster then started ‘screaming madly’ until the line went silent.

The operator spent 10 minutes trying to coax Mr Foster into further conversation, but it was too late. His body was found by emergency crews who were summoned by a neighbour who had spotted flames through his window.

The inquest heard how Mr Foster had a long history of self-harm, and had been admitted to hospital on 30 separate occasions with self-inflicted injuries.

These included overdoses and cut wrists, and one occasion when he had swallowed bleach.

Sitting at Flax Bourton Coroners Court, coroner Terrence Moor returned a verdict of misadventure.