Protect Our Children
Asda : It's shocking and we will act
ASDA last night pledged to act immediately after a toddler was scarred for life when a pair of the supermarket chain's pyjamas caught fire.
A spokeswoman said it was "very upset" and "horrified" after The Northern Echo revealed how the child received severe burns in less than a minute.
Tesco and Woolworths also promised to look again at their ranges of children's wear.
The pledge to act came as North-East MEP Stephen Hughes vowed to fight for Europe-wide legislation that would outlaw pyjamas not made from fire resistant material.
On Monday, The Northern Echo launched its Protect Our Children campaign, which aimsto close a loophole in the law that allows children's pyjamas to beexempt from flame-resistant regulations that apply to dressing gowns and girls' nightdresses.
The Northern Echo tested ten randomly selected items of children'snightwear under controlledconditions and the results including the Asda pyjamas. The temperature of the fire generated by the tested pyjamas reached almost 400C.
The campaign follows an accident that left two-year-old Daniel Mitchard-Harrison, from North Yorkshire, scarred for life when his pyjamas, which were bought from George at Asda, caught fire.
After the accident, Daniel's grandfather, Andrew Mitchard discovered the pyjamas burned to ash in little over a minute - as do 100 per cent cotton pyjamas bought from supermarkets and high streets shops across Britain.
Last night, Asda spokeswoman Rachel Fellows said: "We were absolutely horrified. We were not aware of what happened and we were very upset by what we have heard today."
Ms Fellows explained that many parents liked to put their children in 100 per cent untreated cotton clothes, because they were soft and breathable.
She added: "After hearing about this today, our technical team at George is going to look at creating a line of pyjamas with a higher man-made content, using more polyester. The George team will look into that straight away."
Ms Fellows added that Asda would send Daniel some toys.
Yesterday, Tesco and Woolworths also said that in the light of Daniel's accident and the Protect Our Children campaign, they would look again at their children's pyjamas.
Daniel was allowed home last night after spending almost seven weeks in hospital, and undergoing skin grafts and a blood transfusion. His mother, Liza Mitchard-Harrison, said: "He has really perked up and we are so pleased to be home."
Mr Mitchard welcomed the moves by Asda, Tesco and Woolworths. He said: "My grandson came home tonight which is the best news, but this is the second best news I have had today.
"I am really pleased that the stores are taking responsibility and doing something. I just hope it is more than lip service."
Stephen Hughes, MEP for the North-East, said: "In my naivety, I thought that all children's nightwear had to be flame resistant. It is appalling, as a father of two children it makes me shudder to think that this is happening. I think there is a good chance that we can get this changed. It beggars belief that these pyjamas are being sold."
Mr Hughes and his wife, Cyndi, a councillor in Darlington, signed The Northern Echo petition, which Mr Hughes has vowed to take to the highest levels of the European Parliament.
In 2004, the European Commission issued a mandate calling for a high level of fire safety specifically for children's nightwear. But, in April last year, a proposed European standard for burning behaviour of children's nightwear was rejected by experts, who could not agree.
Mr Hughes hopes that the petition can be used to force the experts to reconsider.
There are about 750 clothing fire injuries in the UK a year, equivalent to 5,700 per year in the EU, of which 41 per cent are fatal or severe. Of those, 28 per cent relate to nightwear.
Protect Our Children has the support of the fire service, trading standards and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
Station manager Carl Boasman, who carried out the controlled burning tests, said: "The difference between the rate that flame retardant nightdresses and cotton pyjamas burn is clear. The difference would give a parents more opportunity to put the fire out and greatly enhance a child's survivability."
Last night, people across Europe had signed up to The Northern Echo's petition to have children's flammable pyjamas banned.
9:23am Friday 13th April 2007
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