This is the terrifying moment a Midland woman's hair caught fire as she enjoyed a bottomless brunch at a restaurant. The incident happened when Fiona Young, 38, posed for a picture next to a candle and her hair touched the flames.
She suddenly started to smell burning and realised that she had to take action fast - and repeatedly hit her head in a desperate bid to extinguish the fire at the Liverpool restaurant. She told the Daily Star: "It smelt like something was burning. I had to hit myself in the head to put it out even though it was so hot. I had to hold onto my hair to stop the flames, but it took out a lot of my hair.
"In the photos, you can see I’m leaning in to pose with my friends but I didn’t realise the was a candle there. Everyone laughed in the end. I laughed and I think, if I was shocked or upset, no one would have laughed or anything. You had to laugh because it could have been a whole lot worse."
READ MORE: Escape to the Chateau fans devastated after Dick and Angel statement
Fiona says she was “lucky to survive” after the incident and admitted to having no idea that a lit candle was on the table when she leant forwards to pose for a photo.
Fiona visited the toilets moments after the incident to pull out her hair and, upon her return to the bar, the DJ played Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. The mum, who is from Solihull, West Midlands, but was visiting mates in Liverpool, continued: "The DJ was cheering when he played that and everyone cheered.
"I was laughing. It could have been worse though so I was lucky really to survive. Seconds longer and it would have been a different story. I was so lucky. It was a bottomless brunch and it must have happened just as it got dark. It would have been a lot worse had we been more drunk, as thank God I had not had a lot to drink."
READ NEXT:
- DWP may monitor bank accounts or social media over Christmas in benefits crackdown
HMRC issues update for those paying income tax ahead of new mandatory software
Eligibility for DWP Cold Weather Payments, how to claim and will there be a second payment
Money expert Martin Lewis shares 1p payment rule for anyone buying last-minute Christmas presents
How Nottingham city households can claim £147 worth of help with living costs
