Authorities must act to reduce risk to our youngsters

Our investigation on pages 10 and 11 makes for worrying reading in the extreme.

Fire safety regulations for children’s clothing are supposed to be among the most stringent in the industry and that is why our report is so concerning. How can it be that doctors are now seeing an increase in the severity of burns suffered when clothing catches fire?

Stuart Watson, a lead burns consultant, talks with authority and experience having treated the victims of such tragic episodes.

He says that a drive for so-called “fast fashion” may well be fuelling this awful trend.

It is imperative that the authorities responsible for regulating the clothing industry take quick and thorough action to reduce the risk to youngsters. Some folk may shake their heads and accuse parents of being complicit in this situation by buying cheap goods in the first place.

The old adage says that if a bargain looks too good to be true then it probably is. That a low price means a compromise in quality. However, we all know that money can be tight when raising a family and you can understand why people would seek out cheaper alternatives to help them make ends meet. However, just because a product is cheap shouldn’t necessarily mean that it is lethal.

Every family should be confident that when buying what is a basic essential – such as kids’ clothing – that it has been tested to the very highest level.

After all, the potential victims could be babies, toddlers or kids enjoying school for the first time.

The scars caused by burns often never fully disappear – neither physically or mentally – so everything that can be done should be done to reverse this trend.