Dangerous 'Giant Hogweed' leaving children with serious burns and blisters

There's a call for people across Staffordshire and Cheshire NOT to risk touching a 'potentially harmful' plant called 'Giant Hogweed'.

It's following several reports this summer about young people in our region and across the United Kingdom who've ended up with blisters and severe burns after coming into contact with it.

One mother from Staffordshire posted a photograph on social media of her 12-year-old son with deep red raw and scabbed over blisters on his face and hands after he touched the plant in Leek.

It's claimed he is now receiving treatment from a plastic surgeon at The Royal Stoke Hospital.

GP Dr Dean Eggitt has been telling us why it's important to avoid it:

"If you spot this beautiful looking plant, please don't grab it.

"The reason for this is that when you grab it, you can split the plant which leads to some of the sap coming out.

"When this sap gets onto your skin, it can change the chemical formula of your skin a little bit, which means you're extremely sensitive to the sun.

"When the sun then touches your skin where this giant hogweed has been, you can come out with some extremely severe burns and blisters.

"So, the aim of the game is not to touch it in the first place, but if you do get it on you, then you need to get that sap off as soon as possible.

"The way to remove the sap from your skin is by applying loads and loads of cold water.

"Wash the area with soap and cold water until it's all off, and then try and avoid sunlight for the next 24-48 hours afterwards.

"This will minimise the chances of getting some really nasty burns and blisters.

"However, if you do get a burn, go and see your GP.

"It's also important to remember that the burns from giant hogweed can be more significant than you'd think, because the sap and the chemical when reacting with the sunlight can cause burns for several days if not treated well.

"This means the burn can potentially get quite deep."

He's also been speaking to us about other possible treatment options:

"We're likely to use something like a topical steroid to dampen down some of the redness and irritation.

"If the skin is broken, you're more likely to get an infection, so we may also end up giving you some anti-biotics if the burn gets infected too."

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