A Chinese man was killed in a fire set by his new bride for "not washing his feet" before going to bed, police said.

The man from the central Hubei Province, identified only by his surname Wang, suffocated and burned to death while drunk, the local newspaper Modern Express reported on Wednesday, citing police sources.

Wang and his wife, Luo, were married on Feb. 2. The couple, however, frequently fought over trivial things while still on their honeymoon, the paper said.

On the night of March 4, the couple fell out again and in frustration they together drank a bottle of liquor to ease their anger.

At about 10 p.m., Luo watched her husband get into bed without cleaning or washing his feet. In a fit of anger and intoxication, she set fire to the sheet he was sleeping in.

When he awoke, the two began fighting before a very drunk Wang collapsed. As fire engulfed the bedroom. Luo escaped to the living room, leaving her other half to burn.

Luo was arrested by police in Hubei's Xiangfan City where the couple resided, according to the report.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2008)