A school where a seven-year-old was accidentally set on fire during a nativity play has been handed a £35,000 fine by the Health and Safety Executive.
The boy, now 10, was wearing a sheep costume made of cotton wool next to another child who tripped while holding a candle in a plastic cup and accidentally set his outfit on fire.
St Thomas Becket Catholic Primary School's former headteacher Noel Campbell raced to rescue the boy along with another adult, burning their own hands as they patted the flames out.
The child was then airlifted to the hospital from the Our Lady of the Annunciation Church in Croydon, South London, where the carol concert took place in December 2019.
He suffered catastrophic burns covering 45 per cent of his body, including his neck, face, body and arms.
The parents of the boy, who were sitting in the audience, say they suffered psychiatric injuries as a result of witnessing the horrific incident.
The boy and his family - who were granted an anonymity order by procedural judge Master Brown are separately suing the school at the High Court.
The boy's father has claimed more than £100,000 while his mother has asked for £50,000 for their personal injuries.
The family is also seeking provisional damages for their son, allowing them to return to court to seek more money if his condition deteriorates and he develops skeletal or joint deformity, and infection of scar tissue, either spontaneously or caused by surgery.
All three are also seeking damages for future disadvantage on the open labour market.
After a week-long trial at Southwark Crown Court the South Norwood school was convicted by a jury of failing to ensure the health and safety of persons not in its employment
Judge Phillip Bartle, KC, handed the school a fine of £35,000 and will pay additional costs of £25,970.
He told the court: "I take into account the deeply moving statements of [the boy's] parents.
"Their love for [the boy] shines through all that they do, I acknowledge the selfless devoted care they have given to him.
"The school failed properly to assess the risk involved and failed to take reasonably practical steps to reduce the risk involved.
"[They] gave no thought as to the risk of setting a child's clothing alight.
"The conditions were neither suitable nor sufficient for lighting candles.
"There were 60 children promenading with 60 unprotected flames. Candles were 10 inches long."
In a victim impact statement from the boy's father, he wrote: "My son's injuries are permanent and life changing; he has suffered 45 per cent burns. He is lucky to be alive.
"The impact is lived by him and his family every day. I was with him and his mum looking forward to the performance.
"He was a happy child who didn't have a care in the world.
"It felt like a bomb had gone off, everybody started screaming and running out of the church. When he did not come out of the church I was looking for him everywhere.
"I managed to make out something dreadful had happened.
"I saw my son naked standing in a bucket of water, I can never forget his eyes looking up at me - broken.
"I couldn't hold him or touch him.
"I try not to think about his image every day since, but it is tattooed into my mind.
"Underwent nine operations. I have not slept properly since.
"Since that day, my beautiful son has suffered burns to his arms, torso, ear, face and mouth.
"He's lost confidence, he's become irritable and angry.
"I still have nightmares about the incident even now three years later. I protect my son from every look of a stranger. I think of him growing older in such a cruel world.
"Everything I do is to make sure he is happy. My nightmares remind me I could not save my son.
"It overwhelms me to think my son will not know what a normal life is."
His mother also wrote: "I would not wish for anyone to go through what my son has been through.
"He was a happy normal child who lived a normal life.
"It will forever be etched in our memories and haunt our lives forever.
"I was looking forward to the child taking part in the nativity play. I made his sheep costume and was proud of him wearing it."
When she first saw her son in the church after the incident she wrote: "I could see he was scared and I was scared to see him. Words cannot describe it.
"I would never have thought I would be in this unimaginable situation. I thought the worst - I thought he was going to die.
"We spent 50 consecutive days in hospital with him... We were devastated.
"He will never be the same. Hospitals are part of his life now. Extensive routines and physiotherapy.
"I have lost my faith because of this accident. I have not stepped in a church since and I don't think I ever will."
Teacher Stephanie Hayward-White had told the court planning of the event had begun a month before and the children had been trained to walk with candles in their hands.
But she admitted there was no discussion with regard to the children's costumes, although it was decided that all the girls should have their hair tied back.
Ms Hayward-White said all year three children were to take part in the concert which was 60 children in total.
"We got the children lined up as practiced, we divided them into two groups and lined up on either side of the corridor to enter church from both sides," she said.
"After I told the children the safety procedures, I started lighting candles near the door.
"We were going to start, so I got more towards the middle of the line, and I heard a scream.
"I turned around and I could just see fire, it was like I had blinked, and all the children had already gone, and it was just me watching [the boy on fire].
"It felt like he was moving a lot and I remember an adult saying, 'roll him, roll him'.
"I remember thinking what can I do? I then remember the headteacher Noel Campbell, running behind me and tearing [the boy's] clothes off with his hands."
The court heard the young boy was placed in a bucket of water with a damp sheet wrapped around his waist as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
After the incident the school immediately banned the use of any candles, and only permitted the use of candles that were battery operated.
At the time of the incident London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner for fire safety Dan Daly said the incident should make adults think twice about their candle usage.
He said: "This horrific accident is a stark reminder of the risk real candles can pose.
"They are a completely unnecessary hazard when it comes to children and school plays.
"Sadly this isn't the first time we have seen clothing and costumes set alight by candles and people need to recognise the risk and prevent these incidents from happening again.
"People should not be using real candles - especially around children, costumes and decorations - when there are far safer alternatives available."
