Firefighters said a boat owner was lucky to escape serious injury, after his cruiser burst into flames on the River Thames.

Terry Adler, 66, suffered minor burns when his 22ft-long boat, Daydreams, caught fire at Osney Marina, Oxford, yesterday.

Fifteen firefighters used foam and powerful water jets to tackle the fire.

They believe the fire was caused by leaking petrol vapour, which ignited when Mr Adler started the boat's engine.

Mr Adler, who was alone on the fibreglass boat at the time of the fire, was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, where he was treated for burns to his arm.

He also suffered an angina attack, which was believed to have been caused by shock and smoke inhalation.

A witness decribed seeing "a jet of gas shoot into the air".

Another said: "There was a loud bang, followed by flames. The boat was destroyed".

Firefighters used water jets to cool a large cylinder of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at the stern of the boat - fearing it would explode in the heat of the fire.

A second boat, moored alongside Mr Adler's, was also badly damaged.

Station officer Richard Williams of Rewley Road, Oxford, said: "Mr Adler was a lucky man.

"If the LPG cylinder had gone up, there wouldn't have been anything left of Mr Adler's boat - or any surrounding ones.

Mr Williams said: "People need to make sure they haven't got any obvious leaks before starting their boat's engines."