A young boy was left screaming and suffered second degree burns after a cup of Bovril was accidentally dropped on his foot at a football match.
Nine-year-old Middlesbrough fan Theo Baverstock was intending to watch his hometown club with his dad Graeme against Fulham on Wednesday evening.
However, he suffered second degree on his foot after a fellow supporter dropped a freshly poured cup of Bovril on his foot, which left him in A&E, TeessideLive reports.
His dad Graeme said: "We went to the Boro game and we were stood in the queue and a gentleman turned around with a cup of bovril.
"He dropped it by accident and it went straight onto Theo's foot. Straight away he started screaming so it's gone through his shoe and his sock.
"First aid got involved as did the club doctor and he got taken straight to hospital where they found he had second degree burns. I felt really sorry for the gentleman who dropped it, he didn't mean to do it and it was a total accident.
"Theo is quite shook up, he's just had it rebandaged. He's had to go every two days to the hospital for checks on it.
"I just wanted to say that it could happen to anyone. It's not against them but if it is being served so hot it can so easily be dropped on anyone's foot like it has done.
"He's got a bit of an infection in it and he has to go onto antibiotics. It looks quite bad at the moment."
The extent of Theo's burns are visible in the graphic picture which show how badly his foot was injured after the accident at the Riverside.
The liquid soaked through his trainers and sock before scalding him. Although Theo is now recovering at home, he is struggling to sit and rest as he's a bit of a "live wire".
Graeme, 39, said: "He's getting there. He's quite a livewire so he's not use to laying up. With the school holidays now he can't go swimming or playing football - he missed his last game of the season today.
"It has upset him a little but in himself he's happy, he's chirpy he's still fine. It's just harder to get him to realise how bad it could get if he doesn't look after it and rest.
"It was an absolute total accident, no one is to blame for it."
Graeme has praised the "amazing" staff at the Riverside stadium where first aiders were on the scene in minutes and police allowed him to pull his car right up to the ground so he could take Theo to hospital.
He said: "I've got nothing but praise for the staff, the club have been great and they've contacted me as well to see how he is. They didn't have to do that.
"It's one of those unfortunate things but I do think to myself, it's that hot it's gone through his shoe, sock and he's still getting second degree burns from a drink that served within a crowd.
"When you're in the queue you're touching shoulders, it could have landed on his chest - it could have been so much worse.
"It's more why is it being served so hot. I'm not wanting to blame anyone but I don't see how it can be so hot.
"Someone could knock it over anyone and it's going to affect them like it did Theo.
"I want to thank everyone with how much they've helped but I wanted to get the awareness out that this can happen to people. Is it too hot? Is it worth looking at?
"It could have been an even smaller child stood there and it wouldn't have been their foot it landed on."
Middlesbrough FC have been contacted for comment.
