A Chinese woman today appeared in court in Hefei, east China, to seek compensation in the region of 4.67 million Yuan (£484,000).

Zhou Yan, 20, was doused in petrol and set alight four years ago by her then boyfriend and classmate, Tao Rukun, when she tried to end their relationship.

She was awarded around 1.72 million Yuan (£179,000) by a Chinese court earlier this year but has decided to appeal on the basis that the judgement was 'unreasonable', reported People's Daily Online.

Seeking justice: Zhou Yan (pictured) appeared in court today to appeal over judgement for compensation

Wronged: The 20-year-old was disfigured in 2011 by her then boyfriend. She is demanding £484,000 from him

Horror: Four years ago, Tao Rukun (left) doused Zhou in petrol before setting her on fire after failed romance

Zhou Yan and Tao Rukun, who were attending the same middle school, had allegedly been in a relationship when things turned sour. After Zhou tried to end the romance, Tao became enraged.

September 17, 2011, was the day that changed Zhou Yan's life forever.

On that fateful afternoon, Tao, then 17, arrived at Zhou's family home to try and reconcile with the then 16-year-old.

When he was rejected, he decided to douse Zhou with petrol and set her on fire.

The flames caught instantly, burning some 30 per cent of Zhou's face and destroying one of her ears.

Luckily, a family member managed to put out the flames and save Zhou's life.

She was taken to hospital where she received emergency surgical treatment..

Rejection: Zhou (above, then aged 16) had been in a relationship with Tao (then 17) when she decided to end it

Charged: Tao (above) was sentenced to 12 years and one month for the attack in May 2012 for the attack

Long-term: The scars left from the attack are still visible despite repeated cosmetic and topical treatments

Despite the immediate action, Zhou suffered severe burns to her face, neck, chest and hands.

The horror of the situation gripped the country and in May 2012, when the criminal case went to trial, Tao was sentenced to 12 years and one month in prison.

While justice has been served to her attacker, Zhou still suffered from the after effects of the attack.

Although Tao's family had reportedly promised to compensate Zhou for her injuries, the two families were never able to reach an agreement.

A civil suit was launched against Tao in February this year for the figure of 4.67 million Yuan (£484,000), which is to include treatment costs, appraisal fees, disability compensation and emotional damage.

Expensive: Although Zhou was offered free plastic surgery, she still had to foot the bill for the medication

In particular, Zhou demanded 1 million Yuan (£104,000) for emotional trauma - double that of previous estimates.

Zhou was awarded 1.72 million Yuan (£179,000) by the court in May.

The damages were less than half of what she had asked for, which led to the appeal.

Zhou's lawyer revealed that the main reason for the appeal was because the costs, and therefore compensation, the court settled on were 'unreasonable'.

Treatment for Zhou has been extremely expensive.

As well as surgical costs from her initial surgery, Zhou has also had extensive cosmetic work. Although a plastic surgery hospital had offered to foot the bill for the treatment, Zhou was still required to pay for the medication involved.

Zhou claims that the topical creams she uses on her scars cost around 300 Yuan (£30) per tube and barely lasts a month.

Exhausted: Zhou Yan appeared in court today for the appeal. She described the experience as 'extremely tiring'

To help her situation, Zhou has started an online shop selling beauty products and the topical creams.

What's more, Zhou also suffers from various other ailments as a result of her injuries. It has meant that she no longer attends school and has to be tutored at home.

The issues surrounding the costs will be re-examined during the second trial. Tao's family has once again requested a closed court.

Zhou told reporters outside of the court house today: 'From 2011 to 2015, with a month to go until 2016, in close to five years, I haven't received a penny in compensation.

'It's not pretty tiring, it's extremely tiring.'