Family's warning after toddler suffers burns

Bella, pictured with her parents Tom Lomas and Alexandra Bennett, was treated for burns after a hot cup of tea fell on her

Parents of a young girl who suffered serious burns from a hot drink said they had the "longest hour of their lives" as she went through surgery.

Exeter couple Tom Lomas and Alexandra Bennett said their daughter Bella pulled a hot mug of tea on to her chest when she was one-and-a-half years old.

The family has spoken about their ordeal as part of National Burn Awareness Day.

NHS England South West said 149 children in the region needed hospital treatment for burns last year after a hot drink scald, taking the total for the past decade to 1,830.

'Emotional episode'

Mr Lomas said Bella, now aged two, needed specialist hospital treatment as she was scalded by boiling water that had not long come from the kettle.

He said the skin on Bella's chest started to peel and she was taken to a specialist burns unit at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth for treatment, including an hour in surgery.

"It was the longest hour of my life waiting for Bella to come out of the operating theatre," Mr Lomas said.

Bella suffered first and second degree burns and needed 20 more trips to hospitals, including two further surgeries.

Mr Lomas said while it has been an emotional episode, the family were thankful for the help they had all received.

He urged other parents to make sure they keep hot liquid out of the reach of children.

"When you have young children, you lock the cupboards, but you assume they won’t be able to reach that hot drink, saucepan of boiling water or kettle but they can – they’re growing up so fast," he said.

Bella suffered first and second degree burns during the incident

Along with the unit in Plymouth, the South West region has four more specialised burns services at Salisbury District Hospital, Southmead Hospital, the South West Children’s Burns Centre in Bristol and Morriston Hospital in Swansea.

Chris Wearn, consultant burns and plastic surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust burns unit in Southmead, said it was important to take extra care with hot drinks, especially around children.

Mr Wearn said: "Hot drinks are found in every home and can be so dangerous."