Primark removes 'dangerous' Christmas candle from sale
- Published
The £5 Christmas candle began to burn an hour after it was first lit
A picture of a Primark candle bursting into flames has gone viral, after a mother-of-three took to Facebook to raise awareness of the potential hazard.
Jenny Ferneyhough purchased the £5 candle - which she said developed into "massive flames" after an hour of burning - in Manchester on Saturday.
The 33-year-old's Facebook post has been shared 145,000 times.
Primark said it is removing the product from sale and investigating the matter.
'Dangerous around decorations'
Mrs Ferneyhough, a Manchester City Council benefits officer, said she lit the candle - in the shape of a Christmas tree - after putting her three children to bed.
She said the flame had spread from the wick to the whole candle within an hour.
Jenny Ferneyhough, left, was with her husband Evan when the candle burst into flames
She said: "Obviously everyone knows not to leave a flame unattended, but if you went to the loo, a couple of seconds later it could have burst into flames.
"If it [develops into] a massive flame when anything else is around it, it could be very dangerous."
Speaking to the BBC, she added that she was especially concerned about people lighting the candle "around neighbouring decorations" during the festive period.
Mrs Ferneyhough sent the pictures to Primark, who replied to say they were "very concerned" about the discovery.
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A company spokesperson has since said the product is being removed from sale, while the complaint is investigated "as a matter of urgency".
Mrs Ferneyhough said she was "reassured" by the massive response she had received to her post, less than 24 hours after posting the picture.
She added the main reason for sharing the pictures was to raise awareness of the potential issue with the candle, and to stop people from lighting it unattended.
"My husband went into the Manchester store to take a picture of the packaging, and a mum and her daughter said they'd seen the photo I shared of it in flames," she added.
- Published14 August 2017
- Published22 February 2017
