Woman who boarded train seconds before explosion describes hair catching fire

A woman who boarded the Tube moments before a bomb went off at Parsons Green has described flames passing over her head.

Aimee Colville, who got on the District Line train seconds before the explosion, gave evidence at the trial of Ahmed Hassan, 18, at the Old Bailey.

Describing what happened at around 8.20am on September 15 last year, she said: "I heard a loud bang, like a cracking bang."

She added: "Then the next thing, there was a bit of a shudder and then a wall of glass came across and the gentleman who was standing in front of me, his head went forward when I saw the glass coming in front of me."

Miss Colville explained: "After he moved forward I don't know if I physically got myself down or if I blacked out, but at that point I noticed a flame come over my right side.

"It came over my side and that is when I smelt the burning."

She added: "That morning I had curled my hair and I had put hairspray in my hair so when the flames came over me my hair immediately caught fire."

The court heard Miss Colville suffered from superficial injuries, but has ongoing back problems linked to stress after the attack.

It is alleged that Hassan left the bomb on the train before getting off a stop before Parsons Green.

He denies attempted murder and using the chemical compound TATP to cause an explosion that was likely to endanger life.