Danger Lurking in your Living Room

My baby suffered second degree burns from a radiator By Cherie Davies, 25, from Birmingham

- Cher Heasmer/ Mollie Tracey

As I tidied up the living room, my son Charlie, then 9 months, crawled around the floor. It was last November, and we’d just moved into a new house.

There were boxes everywhere. My daughter Lacey-May, 5, was having great fun hiding behind them.

‘Peek-a-boo!’ she kept calling to Charlie.

It was nearly her bedtime, so I told her to fetch her pyjamas.

While Charlie played happily on the floor, I turned around to put away some toys.

A curious little thing, Charlie was into everything.

Then, suddenly, I heard a piercing scream…

Charlie!

He’d crawled behind the sofa, and had instantly started sobbing his little heart out, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Rushing to him, I scooped him up into my arms. I thought he’d probably bumped his head.

‘Mummy’s here,’ I said, trying to calm him, before catching sight of his right hand.

It was red-raw with white, waxy blisters.

And then I saw the radiator. I’d ordered a cover for it, but it hadn’t arrived yet.