Sleeping boy’s ‘lucky escape’ after tablet burns hole in mattress

A tablet left charging on a bed burnt a hole in the mattress inches from a sleeping boy.

It is claimed Callum Hewkin, 11, had the four-year-old Samsung plugged in with its original charger for up to nine hours in his room overnight.

The next morning he told his mum it was stuck to his bed – and she found his room full of smoke.

The device had burnt through the bedding and melted the mattress through to the metal springs.

Firefighters said if left another 10 minutes it could have started a fire.

Dad Stewart, 32, of Burntwood, Staffs, who bans his son using gadgets at night, said: “We’d no idea he had it in his room.

When I came down at 7am, I could smell burning.

“The next minute my wife was screaming to come upstairs.

"There was a big burn mark right by where Callum’s head had been, and the room was full of white smoke. We feel we have had a lucky escape.

"His life could have been at risk.”

Mum Amy, 33, said: “People put phones charging under their pillow without realising the risks.”

Samsung said: “Product quality and customer safety are our top priorities.

"We are reaching out to the customer to conduct a full investigation.”

Source: Read Full Article