Inquest reveals Darwen dentist died after spilling chemicals on his clothing and lighting a cigarette

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An inquest has revealed that a dentist from Darwen died after unknowingly spilling chemicals on his clothing, which ignited when he lit a cigarette.

Noel Patrick Cooney, 78, from Blackburn, had been pottering in his old dental surgery, which formed part of his home. His wife, Patricia, said that he liked to make models and moulds even after he retired, and it seems he unwittingly spilled substances on his clothing while at the surgery. Patricia tried desperately to save her husband when she came across him at the surgery covered in flames, but she was unable to rescue him. Passers-by who heard the commotion also tried to step in, but a cloud of thick smoke prevented them from getting close to the retired dentist.

Patricia recalled the morning the incident happened, saying that he usually liked to have a cigarette with his coffee. That particular morning, he took his coffee into another room, and after just a few minutes, she heard him calling her. When she saw him, he was in the surgery and his clothes were on fire. Patricia ran to get a rug to smother the flames, but the fire spread rapidly and Mr Cooney could not be saved.

Police and fire service investigations into the incident suggested that a colourless chemical, which was used to create dental moulds, had been found at the surgery. It is thought that Mr Cooney spilled this chemical on this clothes and the liquid, which can vaporise when released, burst into flames when he lit the cigarette.

Mr Cooney’s family paid tribute to the much-loved dentist, describing him as “amazing” and adding that he “would do anything for anyone.”

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