Fire chiefs today criticised youths in a town near Oswestry who filmed themselves setting fire to another boy before posting it on the internet website YouTube.
Senior fire safety officer Richard Fairhead today condemned the youngsters for putting the boy’s life in danger.
He said the boy could have been disfigured or killed. The film of the fire prank on the website refers to a group calling themselves “The Chirk lads in the Shed”.
Mr Fairhead said: “Fires injure many people in Wales every year, and can cause disfigurement and disabilities which irreversibly changes the life of the victim.
“To play with fire in this way is totally irresponsible, and these youngsters should realise that the injuries resulting from burns are the most painful imaginable.
“The mental and physical consequences of being involved in a fire stay with you forever, and can cause horrific scarring to both the body and mind.
“What this group of young people see as a prank or a joke could very easily have got out of hand and resulted in the loss of their lives.
“Fire cannot be controlled - a ‘laugh’ can very easily turn into a tragedy.”
A North Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said they had no knowledge of the incident, but having been alerted to the footage, they have written a complaint on the website.
The clip now appears to have been removed.
One Comment
Look on the bright side they only have themselfs to blame if things do get out of hand.