Overview
- A 15-year-old is reported to have accidentally set himself alight with petrol in a field near the White Horse Pub in Harrowgate Hill on Monday evening and suffered burns to his lower body.
- Ambulance crews and the Great North Air Ambulance were dispatched to the scene, with GNAAS saying it was activated at 5.04pm and arrived at 5.11pm to work alongside NEAS.
- The boy was treated on scene and then airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he remains in stable condition.
- Durham Constabulary described the incident as a tragic accident and said it is not currently being treated as a criminal matter.
- Reporting highlighted a small discrepancy in call times between agencies—NEAS said it was called just after 4.50pm while police said they were called just after 5.05pm—and images show emergency vehicles outside the pub with CDDFRS not attending.