THE owner of an East Lancashire nightclub where a teenager suffered second degree burns after drinking a flaming cocktail today warned of the dangers of such drinks.

Robert McIvor, owner of Posh Nightclub, in Ormerod Street, Burnley, was working on Saturday night when the 19-year-old ordered an absinthe.

Mr McIvor claims the man was encouraged by friends to light the drink and said the lighting of alcoholic drinks was against the club's policy.

He said: "Bar staff will not light drinks, they will not light anything.

"Drinks are flammable and very dangerous. Any member of staff caught lighting drinks would be sacked instantly."

The young man suffered burns to his mouth, chin and neck in the incident.

He wanted to go home but was taken by friends in a taxi to Burnley General Hospital.

He was in a stable condition awaiting transfer to a burns unit for skin grafts.

Mr McIvor said: "He was a mess. His lip was swollen and his neck was burnt.

"We gave him first aid and offered to phone him an ambulance but he wasn't having any of it. He said he would be OK after another drink."

Today, the mother of the teenager has called for the practice to be banned.

She said: "I want to warn other people as I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else. Something has to be done. I don't think they should be sold."