Baby scalded in coffee spill

An 11-month-old baby girl was airlifted to hospital with severe scalds after coffee was accidentally spilled on her in a Kidderminster restaurant.

The child was with her mother and grandmother on a day out from their home in Bridgnorth when the accident happened yesterday afternoon.

It is believed the little girl accidentally grabbed a tray, spilling the hot liquid over herself at the Frankie and Benny's restaurant at the Pump House in Weavers Wharf shopping complex .

Staff at the restaurant in the town centre immediately leapt into action and called an ambulance for the child, who suffered scalds to her head, shoulders, chest and back.

The County Air Ambulance was scrambled and police were called to help it land because so many shoppers were parked in the Weavers Wharf complex.

They decided to clear and seal off an area of grassland between St Mary's Church and the Sainsbury store on the Crossley Retail Park. The crew then flew both the child and her mother to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Air Ambulance controller Dave Turner said: "The land ambulance crew called and they took the child to the area where police had cleared a space for the helicopter to land behind the petrol station near the Sainsbury store.

"The land crew decided the child needed specialist treatment at the children's hospital and called for her to be airlifted.

Staff at the restaurant said they did not wish to comment on the incident.

Birmingham Children's Hospital spokesman Alan Taman said today: "The young child was treated in the accident and emergency unit and was later discharged and allowed to go home."

By Sue Smith