Firefighters in Medway are warning people of the dangers of pouring flammable liquids on bonfires.

It follows an incident last Friday in which, a Chatham mother suffered serious burns and had to be airlifted to hospital.

The woman, who has not been named and lives in the Weedswood area, suffered second degree burns to her face and chest after using petrol to start a garden bonfire as her nine-year-old son looked on.

When paramedics arrived at the scene they radioed for an air ambulance because of the seriousness her injuries and she was flown to Chelmsford hospital for treatment. Medway crew manager Terry Carter and his team attended the incident.

He said: “This unfortunate incident has caused much suffering for the casualty and her family and is a stark example of the dangers of pouring accelerants on bonfires.

“We would like to take the opportunity to warn people never do this and to take ultimate care when having a bonfire, to avoid the sort of injury and distress that we saw.”

Important safety tips: