Latest news with #Barnstaple
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
I was left with horrific burns after my MAM baby's bottle exploded – I'm terrified I'll be scarred for life
A FIRST-time mum fears she'll be scarred for life after a baby bottle 'exploded' on her tummy and thighs - spraying her with scalding formula. Megan Elston says she was preparing her seven-month-old Koah Keidel's evening feed on May 1st using a MAM Baby bottle that she had been using for the last three months. 9 9 9 After waiting 20 minutes for the boiled kettle water to cool down she says she filled the 9oz bottle and added the milk formula. But just before the 23-year-old went to shake the cup to mix the solution, she claims the bottle exploded at both ends - spilling liquid over her thighs and lower tummy. Shocking photos show the full-time mum's inner thighs with large red burns on them, which then developed into blisters. After taking a 15-minute shower to try and cool her wounds, Megan went to North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, North Devon, where she claims her left leg felt like it was 'on fire'. There, she had the blisters popped and bandaged and was prescribed antibiotics before being discharged to recover at home. Now healing, Megan says she fears she will be left scarred for life and feels self-conscious about wearing shorts and dresses this summer. The mum-of-three is raising awareness about what happened to her after using a MAM Baby product to stop it from happening to other parents. MAM Baby said they were 'very concerned' to hear about Megan's injury and have requested her bottle so they can thoroughly test it and investigate the circumstances around the accident. Megan, from Westward Ho! in Devon, said: "I was just sterilising bottles like I normally do. "I boiled the kettle and waited 20 minutes and then put the water in the bottle and put the powder in. Mum shares horrifying photos after baby bottle 'explosion peeled half her nipple off' "I put the lid on and I hadn't even shook it yet and the lid just popped off. "Both the top and bottom popped off and it kind of exploded. "I waited for 20 minutes because any longer than 30 minutes and the water wouldn't be warm enough to kill the bacteria. "The formula went over both of my thighs and some of my belly. Started to blister Luckily my baby was in the other room when this happened. "The blisters all started coming up. At the hospital they popped the blisters on one leg and dressed them. "When they started to blister it felt like my leg was on fire. "I then went to the doctors the following day as I had woken up and the other leg had started to blister too. All I can say is make sure you're not holding your baby when you're putting the bottles together Megan Elston "It wasn't painful getting them popped but getting the burns dressed was painful as it was sore to touch. "I was worried that I'd be left scarred for life. It's such a big area and summer is coming up too." Since the accident, Megan says she has been back to the doctors and hospital a few times to have her burns cleaned and re-dressed. Megan is now raising awareness about what happened to her as she claims she followed the correct procedure when making Koah's milk formula. 9 9 9 Megan said: "Koah is seven months old and I have been using MAM bottles since he was born. I used the smaller bottles and now I have moved up to the 9oz ones. "I moved onto this bottle about three months ago and have never had any issues before with them. "Koah has a bottle at least five or six times a day so I am very used to doing this procedure. "All I can say is make sure you're not holding your baby when you're putting the bottles together. "It's left me feeling self-conscious and quite rubbish. I'm quite conscious of going out in little dresses and shorts now." Megan says she has since reached out to MAM about her burns and says they have told her to send the bottle back to them so they can investigate further. 9 9 A MAM spokesman said: "The safety of our customers and their babies is at the forefront of everything we do and MAM is committed to ensuring the highest quality standards. "All of our products are rigorously tested and meet applicable safety standards. The bottle type in question is certified to EN standard 14350:2020. "We are very concerned about Megan's injury and have requested that we collect her bottle to enable us to thoroughly test it and investigate the circumstances around the accident. "Clear instructions on safe use are supplied with every bottle. "These include never pouring boiling water into the bottle and allowing boiled water to cool for at least 20 minutes before introducing it to a bottle to reduce the risk of scalding. "While preparing a bottle, we recommend that you never do it with a baby close by. "You should always wrap it in a towel or cloth to ensure the base is tightly screwed on and any shaking should be done gently over a sink with the base facing away from you." How to treat burns Your skin has three layer; the outer layer (epidermis), the dermis (which contains vessels, nerves, hair follicles) and the deeper layer of fat (subcutis). A full thickness burn is when all layers of skin are damaged, while a superficial burn is when only the top layer has been effected. The NHS says to treat a burn: Immediately get the person away from the heat source Remove any clothing or jewellery, including babies' nappies, but do not move anything that's stuck to the skin Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm running water for 20 to 30 minutes – do not use ice, iced water, or any creams or greasy substances like butter Make sure the person keeps warm by using a blanket, for example After cooling the burn, cover the burn by placing a layer of cling film over it – a clean plastic bag could also be used for burns on your hand Use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen Raise the affected area if possible to reduce swelling If it's an acid or chemical burn, dial 999, carefully try to remove the chemical and any contaminated clothing, and rinse the affected area using as much clean water as possible You should go to a hospital A&E department for: All chemical and electrical burns Large or deep burns – any burn bigger than the injured person's hand Burns that cause white or charred skin – any size Burns on the face, neck, hands, feet, any joints or genitals
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Schoolboy River, 11, to play with North Devon Sinfonia
A schoolboy from Devon is set to join the North Devon Sinfonia for a one off concert in late June. River, an 11-year-old pupil at West Buckland School in Barnstaple, has been playing piano since the age of six when his grandma noticed him humming, whistling and singing to movie music. "She thought I would be interested in the piano. I said yes and when I started, I found I progressed really quickly," said River. He will be performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 on 21 June at Torrington's St Michael and All Angels Church. The schoolboy added: "When I'm playing I'm thinking about stories. "With Rachmaninoff it's like a big adventure story where people are having to sacrifice something. "In my mind it's like pictures, stories, lots of different colours all that sort of stuff." 'It's remarkable' His music teacher Dom Carter said River's talent was beyond anything he had ever seen for his age."I've been teaching for 16 years and I have never met a pianist of this skill at this age," he said. "It's remarkable. River is working on grade seven and grade eight pieces at the age of eleven. "He is so focussed he has just shot up through the grades. Not that it is about grades for him, he just loves playing." River's mum Laura said neither she nor her husband were musical and their son's talent came as a said: "It makes your skin go all tingly when you hear him play because he has such musicality that gives emotion to whatever he is playing. "We are just really happy and love hearing him practice."
BBC News
17-05-2025
- BBC News
Devon viaduct opens to mark 200 years of modern railways
A viaduct will open to the public to celebrate 200 years of modern Highways said the Chelfham Viaduct, near Barnstaple, in Devon, would open to the public for a historical walk on Saturday and Rossiter, head of Historical Railways Estate (HRE) which maintains the structure, said it was a "special opportunity"."This is only the second time since the bridge was built in 1896 that it's been open to pedestrians," she said. Largest in England Ms Rossiter said HRE maintained more than 3,100 former railway structures that included bridges, tunnels and viaducts across the country. She added: "Chelfham, like all our structures, is inspected regularly and in recent years we carried out brickwork repairs and vegetation clearance to ensure it stays in good condition and can be enjoyed for many generations to come."National Highways said the viaduct was the largest narrow-gauge viaduct in England and stood at 70ft (21m) tall and 400ft (122m) Lynton-Barnstaple railway line ran across it from 1896 until it closed in 1935, it added. National Highways said it was designed by engineer F W Chanter, more than 250,000 bricks were used in its construction and it cost about £6, said there would be a full weekend of events to celebrate Railway 200, a campaign to celebrate and inspire a new generation to choose a career in viaduct will open 12:00-17:00 BST on Saturday and open again 10:00-16:00 on Sunday.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Devon Harley Davidson biker dies in collision with parked car
A biker riding a Harley Davidson motorbike has died after a collision with a parked car in crash happened at Beaford, near Great Torrington, at 17:50 BST on Thursday. Devon and Cornwall Police said the rider, a man in his 60s from Barnstaple, suffered fatal injuries and died at the force added the motorcycle had collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander parked on a driveway on the A3124. Officers closed the road for more than five hours for investigative work, including an examination of the are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. Officers have also appealed for any witnesses to come forward, particularly anyone who may have relevant dashcam or CCTV footage.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- BBC News
Knife used to threaten Devon shop worker during robbery
A shop worker was threatened by a man with a knife during a robbery in, police have incident happened at the Spar convenience store at the junction of Bear Street and Boutport Street, in Barnstaple before 21:50 BST on and Cornwall Police said the offender fled the store taking four bottles of Smirnoff said he was wearing a black zip-up hooded jumper, dark-coloured trousers, and black shoes and is described as a white male, approximately 5ft 6in tall, of slim build, and aged about 18 to 25. They said he was also wearing a blue and white face covering with a grey-coloured baseball cap, and carrying a black duffle Andy Wills said: "Incidents such as this are fortunately rare in Barnstaple, but they have a significant effect on victims."We would also ask anyone who has private CCTV or doorbell cameras in the area to review any footage taken both before and after the time of the offence which might have captured the offender."
