Cleaner recalled after tot's agony (From Thurrock Gazette)

Cleaner recalled after tot's agony

3:30pm Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News

A HEAVY-DUTY oven cleaning product has been taken off the shelves after a tot opened a bottle and drank the toxic substance.

Callum Blackshaw, two, suffered severe internal burns after drinking several mouthfuls from the Oven Pride bottle.

Callum, from Corringham, is still at Great Ormond Street Hospital where tomorrow he is due to undergo an operation to place a tube into his stomach to feed him, so his burnt oesophagus can heal.

He drank the substance after nan Carina Blackshaw, 52, from Brentwood Road, Orsett, left it on the kitchen table while unpacking shopping. Carina, a PCSO in Billericay, pictured, said: “I am glad they have recalled it, but they only did it after we went to the Gazette.

“It is supposed to be a child-proof lid which you have to push down to open, but somehow he did it.

“The other problem is it is clear and odourless, so it didn’t put him off.

“We are taking legal advice if there is anything we can do.”

The original bottle, which was supposed to be taken from Basildon Hospital to Great Ormond Street was lost en route.

Callum, who has a twin brother Calvin, is expected to take several months to recover. Tests are underway to establish if he has other internal damage.

Last week the Gazette revealed Callum was recovering in hospital after drinking the specialist cleaner, which includes sodium hydroxide, or caustic soda, which is used in paint stripper, on August 13.

Oven Pride has now taken its complete oven cleaner and BBQ grill cleaner off the shelves amid fears over the child-proof lids.

It is asking anyone who bought the products to return them to shops where they were purchased.

Chris Bull, chief executive of McBride, which owns the Oven Pride brand, said it is recalling all Oven and BBQ Pride stock as a precautio.

He said: “We are extremely distressed at this situation and our heart goes out to Callum and his family. Everyone here wishes him a full and speedy recovery.

“Clearly this is of deep concern to us and we are investigating how this happened as a matter of urgency.”

Mr Bull said customer safety is paramount and the company has moved quickly and decisively to carry out the checks.

He said: “We have set up a dedicated customer helpline and would ask customers to call if they have any questions.”

Prior to return, consumers should read and follow the instructions on safe handling, storage and use, which is the same on both the pack and the bottle. This includes an instruction to keep locked away and out of the reach of children.

The Oven Pride cleaner is so strong it is sold with plastic gloves and oven grills have to be coated in it and left in a sealed plastic bag as the substance dissolves baked on grease.