HALLOWEEN HORROR
How dangerous is YOUR kids’ Halloween costume? We tried 14 from major retailers and one went up in flames in a second
Read on to find out which one ignited first
SUPERMARKET shelves are brimming with cheap Halloween costumes for kids that can go up in flames in as little as one second.
Retailers including Poundland, Home Bargains and Asda have options for £10 or less but an investigation by The Sun found that the materials they are made of are highly flammable.
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We took 14 outfits to a controlled environment at Watford Fire Station in Hertfordshire to set them on fire.
Most of the costumes ignited in seconds and some had to be put out by a firefighter.
Many shrivelled up and melted, with plastic dripping onto the floor.
A Batman costume from Tu at Sainsbury’s, designed for children aged three to four, caught fire in less than four seconds.
It is made out of 100% polyester, a material which is supposed to be slow to ignite and melt rather than catch fire.
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But the foamy padding inside the chest of the costume acted as kindling for the flames, burning a hole from front to back of the outfit in just two minutes.
Although it was the most expensive costume in the test, costing £17, it burnt much faster than other outfits.
A £10 orange pumpkin onesie from George at Asda took just six seconds to ignite before it began to smoke and burn.
The outfit was also made out of polyester and included a tag with “Warning keep away from fire and naked flame”.
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The label was clearly necessary as within seconds a hole had appeared on the front of the garment with large flames engulfing the chest.
In comparison, the top of the £10 mini vampire costume from B&M failed to ignite at all.
Only the black trousers caught fire and took several attempts to light.
Elysia White, a fire fighter at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said when looking for Halloween costumes you can check the tags to see if they are fire safe.
“Costumes usually have tags on them that say they are highly flammable or to keep away from fire. Check the washing label as that may also say to keep away from fire.”
“Avoid spandex or lycra materials and foam padding, like we saw with the Batman costume.”
Elyssa adds: “If a costume catches fire always remember to stop, drop and roll.”
In 2014, Strictly Come Dancing presenter Claudia Winkleman's daughter was burned in a Halloween costume accident.
Matilda, eight, was wearing a witch's costume when it brushed against a candle at a house in London.
But although a decade has passed since the incident, there is still no testing standard that Halloween costumes must meet before they can be sold.
But The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is working with the British Retail Consortium and its members to develop a testing standard.
Following testing in UK laboratories, the standard would mean that costumes should have a burn rate of 10mm per minute - 300 per cent slower than the current 30mm per minute rate.
Retailers that have tested their costumes to this new standard will be allowed to print “This garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability” on the label.
They are also being asked to use more visible fire safety labelling on packaging and sew-in labels.
Inga Becker-Hansen, Retail Products Policy Adviser at the British Retail Consortium, said it has led the way in improving regulations to ensure the safety of children's costumes.
"Many retailers have signed up to the BRC’s Code of Practice for Flammability Safety of Children’s Dress-up," she said.
"By complying with the Code, retailers go beyond the legal requirements in establishing the safety of their products.
"Nonetheless, no material is completely fireproof: children should always be supervised around fire hazards."
Children’s costumes go through vigorous standardised tests, designed to replicate real-life scenarios, she adds.
During these tests the costumes are subject to a controlled heat output which replicated ignition from realistic fire hazards.
Tu at Sainsbury’s Charcoal & Teal Batman costume, age 3-4 - £17
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Ignite time: Less than 4 seconds
Verdict: This costume performed very poorly in testing. Flames quickly burned across the chest of the outfit and dripped down the trouser leg, creating a secondary fire. Padding in the chest helped to spread the flames.
Poundland kids pumpkin costume, age 3-9, £6
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Ignite time: 4 seconds
Verdict: The crew at Watford Fire Station thought this costume would ignite quickly once lit but the flames only burnt a small hole before the fire went out.
George at Asda Orange pumpkin onesie, age 3-4 - £10
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Ignite time: 6 seconds
Verdict: The polyester fabric used to make this costume was highly flammable and fire spread quickly through the chest and down the leg of this outfit, burning a hole straight through.
Home Bargains Pumpkin dress, aged 3-4 - £7.99
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Ignite time: 9 seconds
Verdict: Although innocent-looking, flames quickly burned through the netting at the base of the skirt, creating a hole between the front and back of the dress.
Poundland kids costume - wizard, age 3-7 - £6
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Ignite time: 9 seconds
Verdict: Although to the eye this costume looks highly flammable it held up better than others in testing. Flames spread across one side of the cape but did not engulf the whole item.
Stitch witch costume sold by Tesco, aged 4-6 - £12.49
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Ignite time: 10 seconds
Verdict: Once lit, huge flames tore through this dress, separating the skirt from the bodice in seconds. The hat caught fire quickly and burned steadily until the fire was put out.
Lidl pirate costume, age 4-6 - £4.99
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Ignite time: 10 seconds
Verdict: The crew thought this costume would ignite quickly but it performed better than others in the test and the fire went out on its own.
Home Bargains Pumpkin costume, age 3-4 - £7.99
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Ignite time: 12 seconds
Verdict: This costume caught fire but it did not completely disintegrate, despite being predicted to do so by the Watford Fire Station team. It caught fire quickly but burned slowly.
B&M Spooky skeleton costume, age 3-4 - £10
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Ignite time: 12 seconds
Verdict: This costume performed poorly under testing and within a couple of seconds of being lit large flames tore through the fabric. The flames burned a hole straight through the torso within two minutes.
B&M Mini Vampire, age 3-4 - £10
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Ignite time: 13 seconds
Verdict: The top of this costume failed to catch fire, despite repeated attempts to light it. The leg of the trousers did burn but did not catch fire quickly.
George at Asda Rainbow witch costume, age 3-4 - £7
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Ignite time: 20 seconds
Verdict: It took a couple of seconds to light the costume but once the fire was lit it burned a small hole in the base of the dress.
Lidl pumpkin skeleton costume, mixed ages, £4.99
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Ignite time: 20 seconds
Verdict: This costume performed relatively well under testing and took several seconds to light. Once it had caught fire the flames remained isolated to one side of the costume and went out on their own.
Tu at Sainsbury’s Pink sequin witch costume, age 3-4 - £14
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Ignite time: 24 seconds
Verdict: Both the hat and bodice of this costume caught fire and the fabric began to drip as it burned, which could cause catastrophic damage if it came into contact with skin.
Graffiti Frankenstein costume sold by Tesco, age 4-6 -£13.59
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Ignite time: 25 seconds
Verdict: Flames burned small holes in the torso of this outfit but it performed better than rivals under testing, despite containing the same padding as the Batman costume.
What the stores said
We asked all of the retailers featured for comment and they all told us that safety was their top priority and they tested their costumes.
A spokesperson for B&M said: “We conduct comprehensive EN71 testing on all our Halloween garments, including flammability assessments.
"Additionally, we adhere to the enhanced flammability standards outlined by the BRC. Our testing procedures align with regulatory guidelines to ensure all products meet the required safety levels.”
A Home Bargains spokesperson said it takes the safety of its customers extremely seriously.
They said: "All of our children’s dress-up garments are stringently tested to the relevant toy and BRC flammability standards, and are labelled with appropriate fire safety warnings along with confirmation of additional safety testing for flammability.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We take the safety of our customers extremely seriously which is why all of our children’s dress up garments are stringently tested beyond the legal standard and in line with the BRC code of practice.”
A Poundland spokesman said: "All of the Halloween dress-up costumes we sell have passed stringent laboratory tests for flammability and safety, including those you purchased.
"As Citizens Advice recently recommended, even if any items pass safety tests, it's still important to really play it safe at Halloween, by making sure those wearing costumes avoid naked flames such as candles."
A Tesco spokesperson said: “There’s nothing more important than our customers’ safety. Tesco
Marketplace sellers are expected to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, as part of their contractual obligations, and any products that do not comply would be removed from sale.”
A Tu spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our products, so all our Halloween costumes are tested to the legal British safety standard, as well as the British Nightwear flammability safety standard.
“Our costumes also go through additional rigorous testing, developed by independent laboratories and flammability experts so that our costumes provide quality, value and peace of mind.
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"This has been our standard practice for years and means that our range exceeds the legal requirements for flammability.”
Lidl was contacted for comment.
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