THE owner of a motorcycle showroom was badly burned as he tried to fight a fire which swept through the workshop of his Bury business.

Roy Armstrong was rescued by his son from the inferno after the two men tried to fight the blaze.

It spread through the workshop in Fletcher Street, Bury, within minutes.

Mr Armstrong suffered burns to 25 per cent of his body and was today in Wythenshawe Hospital where a spokesman said he was in a "stable" condition.

Fire chiefs believe Mr Armstrong, who is in his 50s, and his son were carrying out welding work on one of the bike engines when petrol vapour was ignited.

At first the two men attempted to put the fire out themselves, but it quickly spread across the workshop because of all the highly flammable material.

As Mr Armstrong's clothes caught fire, his son had to get him out of the building and put the flames out before emergency services arrived.

Station Officer Michael Howard, from Bury Fire Station, said: "We got a call at around 10.15am saying there was a man on fire inside the shop."

When fire officers turned up Mr Armstrong was being treated by paramedics, who took him to Fairfield Hospital, before transferring him to Wythenshawe.

It took fire officers around two hours to put the fire out and units were at the scene for most of the day to clear the building and make it safe.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire Service said that up to 30 firefighters were called out.

He said: "There were a number of motorbikes in there and as the heat built up some of the petrol tanks blew."

The workshop was wrecked and the showroom was badly affected by smoke.

Four fire engines and two support vehicles attended.

An investigation has been launched.