Fire warning for festive kids' costumes

A fire safety warning for Teesside parents this Christmas.

Trading standards are reminding us of the potential dangers that come with kid's festive costumes.

It's an issue we discuss at Halloween, but the Santa Suits and elf costumes lining the shelves at this time of year come with just the same dangers.

Most are made from man-made fabrics like Nylon, and will go up in flames in seconds if exposed to candles or open fires.

Hartlepool's Chief trading standards officer Ian Harrison explains the dangers;

"If it does catch fire, it can melt, it can reach extremely high temperatures and can cause catastrophic burns for young children.

"There is a great risk to the children who are wearing these things."

He goes on to say these costumes will usually carry a warning label saying "keep away from fire" but while we might be paying attention when purchasing the products, it can go out of the window in the chaos of Christmas.

"These warnings are easily missed, and that can lead to young children running around in clothes that will catch fire.

"Obviously, it's Christmas-time, there are candles - in these circumstances these products can be extremely dangerous."

It's important to note, these costumes are not being sold illegally, as they are marketed as "toys" rather than "clothing".

It's something Ian Harrison thinks we can lobby to change;

"Manufacturers are not doing anything wrong by putting these on the market.

"That's something we can all do as consumers, as well, is to push retailers - perhaps have to pay a little bit extra,

"But that's to buy a product that's safe."

Ultimately, the message from Hartlepool's trading standards is that the costumes can be a fire hazard, so if you're unsure your child will be completely out of the way of naked flames, don't dress them up.