A WOMAN has died from horrific burns after turning herself into a human torch in a cubicle in busy town centre public toilets.

Terrified witnesses watched as flames exploded from behind the cubicle door in the public toilets on Old Hall Street yesterday afternoon.

Passers-by unsuccessfully attempted to break down the door to rescue the woman, before fire crews arrived.

Firemen managed to open the cubicle which was well alight when they got there.

The 36-year-old Bolton woman, named today as Yasmin Mohammed Patel, of Dijon Street, who was screaming in agony was taken to Bolton Royal Infirmary, but died shortly afterwards.

The incident happened at 2.15pm. The toilets, which are at the side of the Whitakers store, were cordoned off for two hours as firemen fought the blaze.

A witness, who would not be named, said she was in the next cubicle when the horrifying incident happened.

"I noticed a glow coming from the next door toilet and the next minute there was an explosion. It was awful. Flames were hitting the ceiling and all you could hear was this awful screaming.

"I ran out of the toilet and alerted the attendant. There were two old ladies in the toilet as well. I don't know where they went."

The Bradford & Bingley offices, which are back-to-back with the toilets, were evacuated for nearly an hour as smoke seeped into the building setting off the alarms.

About half of the cubicle was destroyed by fire and the rest of the building suffered smoke damage.

Three fire engines, including one from Leigh, attended the incident, along with paramedics and police.

Afterwards, a fire spokesman said: "We will be investigating the incident fully. The lady involved suffered horrific burns."

It is believed the dead woman had recently been released from Bolton General Hospital where she had received treatment for depression.

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