A WORKPLACE prank which went tragically wrong is being blamed for the blaze which sent 40 firefighters rushing to a factory and put a teenage employee in hospital with burns to his legs and arms.

The drama began last Friday afternoon at Delta Laminates in Ashton Road, Golborne.

Shortly after the lunch break the fire started in a spray booth where a teenage production operative was cleaning adhesive spraying equipment with paint thinners.

Co-director Paul Partington explained: "By all accounts the lad undertaking the work stepped sideways and some of the thinners spilled onto his trousers.

"An agency worker went over to him and took out a cigarette lighter, intending it as a prank. Unfortunately the other lad's trousers caught fire."

As the youth ran from the spray booth with his clothing on fire fellow employees dashed to his aid with fire extinguishers to put out the blaze and minimise his injuries but the fire caught hold in the spray booth and spread to other parts of the 17,500 square foot premises.

The 17-year-old from Orrell suffered burns to his lower leg and arms and was taken to Wigan Royal Infirmary and then transferred to the specialist burns unit at Whiston Hospital, St Helens.

Mr Partington said the blaze victim was expected to make a full recovery and praised employees who had quickly rushed to his aid.

Delta employs 29 people in the manufacture of a wide range of laminated products.