A nine-year-old boy has been left with burns to his face, arm and legs after an aerosol can exploded, almost blinding him.

Ollie Murphy, from Seaton, received the injuries after a deodorant container was thrown on to a fire by another child in Hall Park, Workington.

The exploding cannister caused burns to his face, hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and clothes and missed his eye by just 1mm.

Ollie’s mother, Lindsey Gorman, 45, now wants to warn other parents of the dangers of igniting pressurised containers.

Ms Gorman said: “He singed all his eye lashes and when the can exploded I think he shut his eyes instinctively, which, I think, stopped the flame from going in his eye. I think that’s what has saved his eyesight. It just doesn’t bear thinking about.”

She added she has not been able to sleep for thinking how serious it could have been for Ollie and she wants to raise awareness of the dangers of burning pressurised cans, such as deodorants, so other parents and children do not go through this.

She has contacted Workington Academy and St Joseph’s School to make children aware either by an assembly or for parents to have the conversation and remind them of the dangers.

Lindsey added: “It’s not about getting any children in trouble. I’ve had a really awful few days and don’t want anyone else in that position. I don’t want any parents having to take their children to the burns unit.”

Ollie had been playing at the skate park on Monday when he phoned to say he was "covered in fire".

Lindsey said: “His coat had melted, the coat sleeves had set on fire, his hair was all singed as well as his eyebrows and eyelashes and there was a burn under his left eye.

"On the way to West Cumberland Hospital he said his legs were hurting more than his eye and I noticed his shorts had a hole burned through them, and he had burns on his legs.

“The burn on his face is 1mm away from his eye. The hospital said they weren’t superficial burns, but they are not third degree burns either. The most severe burns are on his face, which have blistered and some have burst.”

She added: “It could have been a completely different story for Ollie, he could have lost his eyesight or be in a burns unit. Children don’t think of the consequences, they are like moths to a flame.”