A NEWTON-le-Willows woman has been taken to hospital with serious burns following a horrific incident last night, Wednesday.

The 38-year-old woman, whose family runs the newsagents in Earle Street, is believed to have accidentally set herself on fire, around 5.50pm.

Town firefighters arrived at the scene within four minutes and the woman's husband had extinguished most of the flames.

Sub-officer James Hillis said saline packs were administered by firefighters, in a bid to soothe serious burns suffered by the woman to her face, neck and arms.

An ambulance arrived shortly afterwards and she was rushed to the burns unit at Whiston Hospital.

An investigation will take place into how the woman, who was dressed in a sari, inadvertently set herself alight.