Boy burned as petrol sets his shorts ablaze
9:40am Monday 5th November 2007 in News By Staff Reporter
LEG INJURIES: Haydn Taylor, with his mum, Tracy. "It was the worst pain I have ever felt," he said
A TEENAGE boy suffered severe burns when his shorts burst into flames as bonfire celebrations went wrong.
Haydn Taylor, aged 15, was chatting around the bonfire in Martin Avenue, Farnworth, when petrol splashed on to his shorts as his friends were lighting the wood.
The petrol on his shorts ignited, even though he was three yards away.
The nylon shorts melted to the top of his legs, leaving him with burns on both legs.
"It is the worst pain I have ever felt," said Hayden, a pupil at Harper Green School, Farnworth.
"I didn't realise what had happened because I had my back to the fire, but I suddenly felt my legs go really hot and looked down and saw I was on fire.
"I think when the lads were pouring the petrol on the bonfire, some accidentally got on to my shorts."
Haydn, who had been walking to a friend's house when he stopped to look at the bonfire at around 8.15pm on Friday, desperately tried to pat out the fire with his hands and then rolled around on the ground.
He then staggered towards his home in Sandpiper Close and rang his mum, Tracy, on his mobile phone to tell her what had happened.
Mrs Taylor, aged 40, said: "When he said he had been set on fire, I feared the worst.
"I ran out of the house, found him and called an ambulance. He was in so much pain."
Haydn was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital with burns on both legs from his knees to his thighs.
He can barely walk because of the pain and a nurse will have to change the dressing every day until the wounds are healed.
Haydn said: "It's so uncomfortable that I can't sleep. It stings and is very itchy. This experience has put me off bonfires for a while."
A spokesman for North-west Ambulance Service said: "The patient had somehow got petrol on his shorts which ignited when he stood close to the fire."
In a separate incident on Saturday night, a five-year-old boy was taken to hospital after being hit by a firework in Singleton Avenue, Breightmet.
The youngster had been watching the fireworks with his family and neighbours when one of the fireworks toppled over and hit him. He was taken to hospital with burns to his left hand and hip.
Darren Banks, Watch Commander at Farnworth station, said of the incident in which Haydn was injured: "We would warn people to stand well away from bonfires and always be aware of what is going on around them.
"We would strongly advise against the use of accelerants when lighting a bonfire and we would recommend people go to organised displays rather than having their own bonfires."
Police said they were not investigating either incident.
