A mother who suffered life-changing burns has revealed her injuries were caused by a man adding ethanol into a portable heater for ‘a laugh’.
April Charlesworth, 28, suffered severe burns to her face, chest and hands after a portable heater exploded at the Kings Head pub in Great Cornard, Suffolk.
She had planned to spend the evening enjoying birthday drinks with her cousin, Ashleigh, but ended up being rushed to Queen Victoria Hospital, London for urgent treatment.
Speaking from hospital today, the 28-year-old, from Sudbury, revealed the blast happened after a drunken man poured ethanol into the portable heater for ‘a laugh’.
And April insists she was saved from further harm after a quick-thinking member of the public doused the flames after throwing white wine over her.
April Charlesworth, 28, has suffered life-changing burns after a portable heater exploded while she was having celebratory birthday drinks at a Suffolk pub
The mother-of-one, pictured before the incident, says she has avoided worse injuries after the flames were doused in Pinot Grigio
The heater involved in the incident was fuelled by ethanol and had an open flame.
It is believed that April and her cousin were burned when a drinker at the pub sprayed ethanol from a spare bottle on to the naked flame as a prank, causing the bottle to ‘explode’.
April’s whole head remains bandaged and she says all she remembers of that moment was her face being covered in flames.
The mother-of-one said: ‘ A certain person, who was part of the group I was with, thought it was funny to keep filling the heater up with ethanol.
‘He was in a bit of a drunken state, and we kept telling him not to do it.
‘Another member of our group was stopping him from doing it – but they went off to the toilet for just a minute, and everything happened so quickly.
‘All I remember was my face just being on fire.’
April (shown) was celebrating her 28th birthday with family and friends at The Kings Head, Great Cornard before the pub heater blast changed her life forever
April Charlesworth (above) and her cousin, children’s nurse Ashleigh, both face a long road to recovery after suffering horrific facial burns
April added that the wine that was thrown over her was a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which helped to douse the flames.
The Kings Head pub was closed following the incident – but the landlords said they were ‘limited’ as to what they could say, in light of an ongoing police investigation.
Posting on its Facebook page, a spokesperson for the pub added: ‘We can however confirm that the heating appliance was not one supplied by the pub, but was brought onto the premises without our knowledge.
‘Our focus is on supporting the enquiry that is taking place while keeping them, and their families, at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.’
The King’s Head pub has since confirmed the heater was ‘brought onto the premises without their knowledge’ before it exploded injuring three customers including April Charlesworth
April says she is still is hoping for an apology from her drunken friend.
‘I haven’t spoken to the guy since who kept pouring ethanol into the heater – I haven’t even had a text or anything to apologise.
‘He was able to walk out of hospital after just 36 hours, whereas here I still am 12 days later.’
The 28-year-old was rushed to Bury St Edmunds Hospital, before being taken to Queen Victoria Hospital, London for urgent treatment
And she believes she is on a ‘long journey’ to recovery.
‘I’ve had skin donor skin put on my face and my chest, which I’m told is working well.
‘But it’s just a waiting game to see if I’ll need anything more done, like a skin graft.’
April added that she has been speaking to her cousin Ashleigh most days, and they are supporting each other through their recovery.
A spokesperson for Suffolk Police, who have launched an investigation into the incident, said: ‘Officers were called shortly before 10pm on Saturday, April 24, following reports of an explosion in the outside area at the Kings Head pub in Bures Road.
‘It is believed the fire was caused by a small portable fuel heater.
‘Emergency services attended including the fire service and ambulance service, and three people were taken to hospital for treatment.
A man, in his 20s, who suffered burns in the explosion has since been released from hospital.
