Toddler who set himself on fire ‘serious but stable’

A toddler has been seriously injured after accidentally setting himself on fire at his home in Ballymena.

Neighbours believe the boy might have been handling an aerosol close to a lighted candle. It is understood he ran outside with his clothes blazing and was helped by passers-by.

Carol Moody, whose chip shop is close to the toddler’s house in the Larne Rd area, provided buckets of water to help extinguish the flames.

“We were told the burns were superficial and that they were not around his face,” she said. “I hope that is the case. It is terrible. We hope that he is going to be okay.”

The boy, whose age has not been confirmed, but is believed to be aged three or four, is in a serious but stable condition in Antrim Area Hospital. It is understood most of his injuries are on his upper body.

Sid McKeown from Ballee Community Association said locals were stunned by the news.

“The whole community is shocked,” he said. “We are all thinking and praying for the wee boy and for his parents.”

North Antrim TUV MLA Jim Allister, whose constituency office is close to Larne Rd, said: “It is hard to imagine anything more horrific. Our immediate thoughts are with the child and his family.”

DUP MLA Paul Frew said the community would pray the toddler made a full recovery. In a statement, the PSNI said they were investigating the circumstances of the fire and have called for any witnesses to come forward.