A WOMAN was in hospital with serious burns last night after a fire broke out on a farm.

The blaze happened at Hauxwell Grange Farm, at Marwood, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, shortly after 1pm yesterday.

The victim, Hazel Dent, was the only person in the farmhouse when the fire broke out.

Firefighters from Barnard Castle and Middleton-in-Teesdale attended the blaze, which took nearly two hours to get under control.

Mrs Dent, who is in her fifties, was taken by ambulance to Darlington Memorial Hospital suffering from serious burns and smoke inhalation.

She was later transferred to a specialist burns unit at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Sub-officer Derek Miller, from Barnard Castle fire station, said: "The lady suffered burns to her legs and arms and was already out of the house when we arrived.

"She was treated by firefighters until the paramedics arrived.

"The house was severely damaged. It looks as though it started in the kitchen and worked its way through the rest of the house."

The cause of the blaze is being investigated by the fire brigade and police forensic experts.