THE Watford Observer is joining Newsquest titles up and down the country supporting a campaign urging the Government to change a law that allows less stringent fire safety standards on children's pyjamas.

Fire chiefs, trading standards officials and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) have joined newspapers in throwing their weight behind the Northern echo's Protect Our Children campaign.

It has been launched in conjunction with the family of two-year-old Daniel Mitchard-Harrison, who suffered horrific burns when his pyjama shorts caught fire at his home last month.

A spark from a wood burner set fire to the leg of the shorts, and they were ablaze within seconds.

Doctors said only the quick thinking of Daniel's mother, who ripped the blazing clothes off him and put him into a cold bath, saved his life.

Although he was only wearing the clothes for less than a minute, a fifth of his body was burned.

Daniel, from Dalton, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, suffered 15 per cent full thickness burns and is still in hospital, where he had a blood transfusion and has endured a series of skin grafts.

Since the accident, Daniel has suffered flashbacks and he has lost weight. It could be another three weeks before he is allowed home.

Daniel's grandfather, Andrew Mitchard, is so angry that children's pyjamas can catch fire so quickly that he has joined forces with The Northern Echo to have the law changed.

British law requires nightdresses and most dressing gowns to be flame resistant, but historically, pyjamas have been exempt because they are close fitting.

Now Mr Mitchard wants pyjamas to be covered by the law, as they are in the US and other parts of Europe.

After Daniel's accident, Mr Mitchard conducted an experiment to see how quickly the same brand of pyjama shorts caught fire and disintegrated.

The experiment was filmed by The Northern Echo in the family kitchen. It took seconds for the shorts to turn to ash.

Mr Mitchard said: "Daniel will be permanently scarred. He was also very lucky.

"After the accident, I did the experiment to put my mind to rest.

"I was shocked. It was horrific to think about a child inside those shorts. They took just seconds to incinerate.

"I just cannot believe that anybody could market nightwear for children that bursts into flames. It makes me very angry."

Daniel's mother and father, Liza Mitchard-Harrison and Michael Harrison, have taken the brave step to allow Daniel's story to be told and his pictures to be published in the hope it will spare another child the pain he is suffering. Mrs Mitchard-Harrison, 27, has not left Daniel's side, in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, since the accident.

She said: "Daniel has been very brave and very strong. He has been much stronger than me.

"We want the law to change. We just do not want this to happen to any other children. It could be 100 per cent worse next time."

Simon Brown, Community Safety Policy Manager of Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We would support any campaign that improves the safety of textiles especially nightwear. Our sympathies go out to the child and family involved in this awful incident. We are not aware of recent similar incidents in Hertfordshire but would remind people that improving textiles is only part of the solution. Any naked flame is potentially dangerous and should be treated with care and respect. If someone's clothes do catch fire remember stop, drop, wrap and roll. Stop - stand still; Drop - to the floor; Wrap - a blanket or coat around the person; Roll - around on the floor to smother the flames.

Be sure to cool any burns immediately under running water and seek medical assistance."

In the UK, there are about 750 incidents a year in which clothing catches fire. Of these, 80 are fatal.

Mr Boasman said: "It takes seconds for people to sustain burns, and burns in children are particularly serious because their small bodies do not cope well with the shock.

"We support this campaign to raise awareness of the issues."

A spokesman for the Department for Trade and Industry said the UK's nightwear regulations were already the most stringent in Europe.

He said: "To make them more so would be to risk the commission revoking them on the grounds that they are a barrier to trade.

"There are no current plans to amend the regulations."

However, the US law states that: "Children's nightwear must be flame resistant and self-extinguish if a flame from a candle, match, lighter or a similar item causes it to catch fire."

* You can sign our petition calling for the Government to change a law that allows less stringent fire safety standards on children's pyjamas. Click here to be taken to the petition.