Latest news with #MarnieHobbs
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Mother, 52, is left with agonising second-degree burns after tealight exploded in her face
A mother-of-two was left with agonising second-degree burns after a tealight exploded in her face. Marnie Hobbs took her Home Bargains tealight outside when it began 'crackling' after burning for nearly two hours. The 52-year-old from Chandler's Ford, near Southampton, Hants, watched as the flame grew bigger and as she went to blow it out, boiling wax splattered over her face and chest. She said what happened in the aftermath remains 'hazy' until she woke up at the emergency department at Winchester hospital. Now, more than seven weeks on, Ms Hobbs is calling for Home Bargains to take accountability. 'I bought a pack of 25 tealights costing around £2.50, from the store in Eastleigh in March before I decided to use one on April 2', she said. Recounting the incident, she said: 'The hot wax covered me from the tip of my nose, down my face and over my chest. 'After arriving at A&E I was showered in cold water for 20 minutes before a consultant dressed my burns. 'I returned the following day so they could remove the blisters. 'I've had two children, and I have never felt pain like this removal, it was the worst pain I have felt.' She emailed customer services at Home Bargains about the incident on April 4 and requested an investigation into the safety of the tealights. Six days later Ms Hobbs was told Home Bargains were 'unable to provide further assistance'. 'The product in question is one of our highest volume sellers, selling 10s of thousands across the week over many years and this is the first complaint of this kind that our safety and compliance team has encountered,' she was told. The 'dismissiveness' of their response upset Ms Hobbs, and she is fearful this could happen to more people. She said: 'I would be mortified if this happens to somebody else, God forbid it happens to a child. 'I am so glad I took the candle outside, and I can't bear to think about the damage it could have done to our home. 'You trust that the products from Home Bargains are safe to use. 'It has been so traumatic and painful.' In response, a spokesperson from Home Bargains said customer safety is a 'top priority' and a 'thorough investigation' was carried out. 'We are satisfied that the product meets the safety standards', they said, adding: 'We understand how distressing this experience must have been, and our thoughts are with the customer. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.'
The Sun
26-05-2025
- The Sun
Mum-of-two left with agonising burns after £2.50 Home Bargains tealight EXPLODED in face covering her in hot wax
A MUM-of-two has been left with agonising second-degree burns after a Home Bargains tealight exploded in her face. The horror injuries were caused by molten wax that was sprayed onto the woman's face when her £2.50 tealights exploded. 2 Marnie Hobbs, 52, from Chandlers Ford, Southampton, was left with agonising second-degree burns on her face and neck after the incident. Marnie took her Home Bargains tealight outside when it began "crackling" after burning for two hours. The flame then reportedly began to grow bigger and as she went to blow it out, the tealight exploded in her face. Molten hot wax was sprayed from the tealight into her face, neck and chest. Marnie received treatment at the emergency department at Winchester hospital. She was left with nasty, second-degree burns on her face following the incident. Marnie recalls being showered with cold water for 20 minutes before her burns were dressed. The mother of two had to return to the hospital the following day to have her blisters removed. She said the removal was "the worst pain I have felt" adding that she had two children and had "never felt pain like this removal." More than seven weeks after the incident Marnie is calling on Home Bargains to take accountability over the horror accident. Marnie emailed customer services at Home Bargains about the incident and requested an investigation. It took six days for the retailer to respond and when they did Marnie was told they were "unable to provide further assistance." Marnie is afraid that the horror incident could be repeated and was left upset by the "dismissiveness" of Home Bargain's response. 2 She said the event had been "traumatic and painful" for her. Home Bargains told Marnie that the product is one of their most popular and sells 10s of thousands a week. They added that hers was the first complaint the retailer had ever had about the popular product. Marnie has been left disappointed by their response saying: "I would be mortified if this happens to somebody else." She added that she was thankful she took the tealight outside saying she couldn't bear to think of the damage it could have done to her home. A spokesperson for Home Bargains said: "Customer safety is our top priority, and we take all related concerns extremely seriously. "We conducted a thorough investigation into this matter and are satisfied with the outcome, as discussed with the customer, and that the product meets the safety standards. "That said, we understand how distressing this experience must have been, and our thoughts are with the customer. "We wish them a full and speedy recovery."
