Tot’s dangerous game

2:08pm Thursday 6th March 2008

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NEIGHBOURS on a new Burnley housing estate played a desperate game of turn the key and let us in', with a little toddler who locked himself in the house with a pan of boiling fat.

The drama unfolded back in 1965 in Westbourne Avenue South, and 23-month-old Richard Cunliffe was totally oblivious to the danger.

He giggled, gurgled and waved happily through the window - refusing to open the door!

Finally, the thing they had all been dreading happened.

The chip pan on the kitchen stove exploded in a sheet of flame and Richard fled into the sitting room away from the smoke.

His frantic mother, Mrs Jean Cuncliffe, ran to the front of the new £2,500 detached home, picked up a brick, smashed the window and pulled her son to safety.

It all happened one lunchtime when mum slipped into the garden to hang out the washing after setting the chip pan on the oven.

Little Richard had ridden up to the kitchen on his hobby horse, climbed on to the seat and locked her out.

Neighbours heard her shouts and surrounded the house trying to persuade the youngster to open the door again.

Afterwards mum said: "I knew it was only a matter of time before the chip pan exploded, but he would just not open the door.

"He thought it was a game."