How safe are Halloween costumes?

Four costumes were picked to test for safety

The case of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman's daughter, whose Halloween costume brushed by a candle and burst into flames, has put the issue of fire safety firmly in the headlines.

Matilda Winkleman has undergone several operations for severe burns since it happened last year and is now recovering.

But what should parents consider when they're buying a fancy dress outfit?

Firstly Halloween costumes are classed as toys which means that, by law, they don't have to be as fire retardant as normal children's clothing.

Some stores have voluntarily agreed to make theirs as resistant as children's nightwear.

BBC News NI tested four costumes bought randomly from a variety of stores.

The good news is all four performed well, all self-extinguished and didn't accelerate into a fireball.

One costume said on the label it had been subjected to additional fire safety testing and it performed the best.

Kevin O'Neill from the Fire and Rescue Service said: "These are toys. Toys have a lower fire safety requirement. They have a lower fire safety standard. Just be aware of that and take measures.

"One of those measures is to ensure children are wearing clothes under the costume.

"They should be wearing woollen tights for example or a woollen jumper or jeans. That way it gives some protection that if they were to catch fire you've still got a barrier between the garment and your skin".

If the worst does happen, Mr O'Neill said children should know the 'stop, drop and roll' drill.

"Stop what you're doing, get on the ground and roll. Allow the ground to be the means of suffocating a fire and not a person's hands".