Alyssia-Rae Hutton, 13, was playing in a field with a friend when a boy allegedly kicked a fire at her in an “unprovoked attack” – leaving her with painful burns on her legs
A schoolgirl was left “screaming in pain” after she was left seriously burned by a fire containing melting plastic in an “unprovoked attack”.
Alyssia-Rae Hutton, 13, was playing in a field with her friend in St Helens, Merseyside, when she claims a boy kicked the fire at her on October 11 at around 6pm – leaving her with painful burns on her legs after being taken to hospital. Her mum Laura Hutton says her child “collapsed” to the floor, adding: “The fire had loads of plastic which melted inside her legs.
“She was out with her friends on the Blackbrook playing field when a boy walked over with his friend to where she was sitting and started to get grass and plastic together and set it on fire. My daughter and her friend moved back away from the fire because they didn’t want to get burnt.”
The boy got more plastic and bits of rubbish from on the field and set it on fire. She said the fire was about 2ft tall. She started backing away and her friend got up and moved because the boy was jumping over it and putting his foot in it.
“As Alyssia got up and was about to walk past the fire to get away, to get to her friend, he threw a lighter on it and kicked the fire from the bottom full force at her. The burned plastic went all over her legs. Her friend said she screamed and collapsed to the floor.”
Alyssia had recounted to her mum how a friend had rushed over to try and get the plastic and ash off her. Her friend then carried her back to her mum’s house in St Helens. Laura continued: “She came into the house crying and screaming in pain. Her friend was trying to explain what happened.
“I sat her in the bath and put cold water on her, I kept it on her for about 15 mins, I didn’t know it was plastic. After 15 minutes It wasn’t coming away from her legs, at that point I phoned the ambulance and they arrived and took her to Alder Hey. She is so shaken up from it.”
Now Alyssia’s legs are covered in “scattered burns” from the molten hot plastic and is still in severe pain. Laura added: “Both legs, thighs down to her shins, are covered in scattered burns everywhere from the plastic. The hospital told us that some of the burns have gone so deep she has got no pigment left in her skin so it will scar.
“The nurse said she is lucky she had her shorts on because if she had been wearing leggings or trousers she would have gone up in flames because they would have caught fire, and she would have struggled to remove the burnt clothing from her skin. Wearing shorts has saved her.”
The mum fears the alleged attack will leave her daughter feeling too self conscious to carry on doing the things she loves- including playing rugby. Laura said: “She’s so nervous now. She’s been playing rugby for 18 months which involves her legs being out and on show, she has never missed a rugby game and now she can’t play. She’s been stopped from doing something she loves. She doesn’t want to go to the park with her friends anymore, all because of this totally unprovoked attack.
“I can’t imagine anyone else having to go through this. She’s so independent usually, so confident, she’s a good looking girl, but I’m so concerned about the future. I don’t want it to define her and I don’t want it to affect her mentally. I’m concerned about her mental wellbeing. I’m distraught as a parent.”
