LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service has backed TV presenter Claudia Winkleman’s call for tougher fire safety laws on children’s fancy dress outfits.

The call comes after the Strictly Come Dancing presenter opened up for the first time about the serious burns her daughter suffered in a Hallowe’en costume fire.

Tony Crook, risk safety manager for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Children’s fancy dress costumes are not always fire-proofed or fire retardant and they can easily become engulfed in fire if they are exposed to a naked flame.

“I echo the calls made by Claudia, the surgeon and other colleagues from across the country to ensure that fancy dress costumes should go through the same safety tests as other items of clothing. Despite this, we also want to warn people about the dangers of candles and tea-lights.”

However, he also warned about the lack of fire-proofing of other day-to-day garments made from cotton.

Mr Crook added: “We are attending an increasing number of incidents where people have got injured in fires involving candles. One such incident occurred in between Christmas and New Year in 2014 when Curtis Halsall suffered major burns after a cotton shirt that he was wearing caught fire after he brushed against a candle at a family party in Accrington.”

Blackburn College student Curtis suffered 25 per cent burns to his arms and up to 18 per cent burns to his back after his cotton shirt caught on fire as he leaned against a radiator to get warm.

The 17-year-old had not seen candles left on the windowsill at his aunt’s Pipers Row Cottage home in Huncoat. He underwent three skin grafts at Royal Preston Hospital, where he spent five days, and is still undergoing treatment for his scarring.

The construction student said: “I have been recovering ever since. Looking at it now, if I had seen it back when I first got injured, I would have had a panic attack in all honesty. Nothing at all can prepare you for that.”

TV star Claudia told the BBC’s Watchdog about the incident which left eight-year-old Matilda in hospital needing surgery. Viewers also heard the youngster’s surgeon call for stricter fire safety laws on fancy dress costumes which are currently classed as toys and not clothing.

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