An East Sussex writer on holiday in Peru died after a box of fireworks exploded in a bus, an inquest has been told.

The vehicle burst into flames when the rockets, which had been smuggled on board, ignited under a seat in front of Aimee Stephenson.

The 45-year-old from Hastings suffered horrendous burns in the blast but did not receive specialist treatment until nearly 36 hours later.

Miss Stephenson's boyfriend, Tim Jackson, said she was forced to wait as paramedics insisted they could only take Peruvians with private medical insurance to hospital.

As her condition deteriorated, the author was airlifted back to Britain but later died at a specialist burns unit in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Her death prompted an investigation by the Peruvian authorities into the illegal trade in fireworks which are "like big bombs", the inquest heard.

Mr Jackson, 34, told of his horror as the huge stash of illegal fireworks hidden on the bus blew up in hot weather.

Smugglers had packed the dangerous explosives into toy boxes to avoid the suspicion of the bus driver.

Mr Jackson, who lived with Miss Stephenson in Milward Road, Hastings, said: "I remember a single explosion and everything was black with smoke.

"I could smell gunpowder and see flames leaping from under the seat in front of me.

"I remember people screaming and trying to beat the flames out. Then I realised I had lost Aimee. I couldn't see her or a way out of the bus.

"I eventually found her and we climbed out of a window which had been knocked out."

The inquest was told the first explosion may have ignited more fireworks and gunpowder hidden in the luggage hold.

The Britons, who both suffered serious burns along with 17 other passengers, were initially treated at a clinic in the nearby town of Moquegua.

Mr Jackson, also a writer, said a doctor told paramedics Miss Stephenson needed urgent hospital treatment but she was not allowed on an ambulance.

He said: "She was clearly in a bad way but didn't receive specialist treatment until more than 24 hours later.

"The first ambulance wouldn't take Aimee because they had to take Peruvians with medical insurance. A second ambulance never arrived."

It was not until the following morning that the doctor himself drove the couple of hundred miles to a hospital in Arequipa.

A week later the pair were airlifted to Salisbury District Hospital, via Zurich, Switzerland.

Miss Stephenson, who had 48 per cent third degree burns to her arms, legs, face and chest, died of her injuries in December, following skin grafts.

The Peruvian police and customs officials carried out an investigation and tightened security checks on long-haul buses.

Wiltshire coroner David Masters recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquest in Salisbury.

He said: "If this had happened in Britain there would have been a prosecution for manslaughter."