Woman suffers agonising burns from Home Bargains tealight

Mum-of-two 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 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.

Marnie Hobbs was left with agonising second-degree burns after a tealight from Home Bargains exploded in her face (Image: Marnie Hobbs) 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.”

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She emailed customer services at Home Bargains about the incident on April 4 and requested an investigation into the safety of the tealights.

The Home Bargains tealights (Image: Marnie Hobbs) Six days later Ms Hobbs was told Home Bargains were “unable to provide further assistance”, adding: “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.”

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 told the Echo 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.”