PARENTS have been warned to protect their children from flammable fancy-dress costumes as they celebrated Halloween.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have issued advice for all parents to follow ahead of this year’s celebration of all things spooky.

The fire brigade are urging people not to use naked flames while their children are dressing up for Halloween or bonfire night, as tests have shown that those wearing costumes can be engulfed in flames in as little as nine seconds.

This would include lighting candles in the home and use of candles and tea lights in pumpkins.

LED candles displaying the correct kite mark are described as a “very realistic, inexpensive and a safe alternative” by the fire service.

Other advice given by the emergency services include:

  • Check the labels on any fancy-dress outfits you buy and see what fire resistance they offer.
  • If in doubt check with the customer services department or the store manager.
  • Do not let your child go near any ignition sources – sparklers can burn at up to 2,000 degrees Celsius.
  • Replace candles in pumpkins with battery powered candles – these are cheap, they do not blow out and they are much safer.
  • Teach your child to STOP, DROP and ROLL in the event that their clothing does catch fire.
  • In an emergency cool any burns with large amounts of water and get urgent medical assistance.

A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: “The design of costumes, often made with flowing robes or capes, means they can easily catch fire from a candle or flame and very quickly engulf a child in flames.

“The popularity of Halloween fancy-dress for children has grown enormously in recent years so cutting the risk of flames catching a costume in the first place is also an important safety measure.”

In 2014, the daughter of Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman suffered serious burns after her costume went up in flames when it brushed against a candle at a house in London.