TWO teenagers were being quizzed by detectives last night after a 12-year-old boy suffered burns to his head and chest in an incident at an Essex seaside resort.
By Roddy Ashworth
TWO teenagers were being quizzed by detectives last night after a 12-year-old boy suffered burns to his head and chest in an incident at an Essex seaside resort.
Police have confirmed they recovered a tin of lighter fluid at the scene of the incident on The Parade, at Walton on the Naze seafront.
The young victim was airlifted to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, for emergency treatment.
Two teenagers - one from Frinton and one from Dovercourt - were last night being questioned by police on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
The incident happened in broad daylight in a popular area of the seafront, between the pier and a set of public toilets, near to where hundreds of visitors were enjoying the sun.
Police were called at around 3.40pm to the scene where they found the boy, understood to live in nearby Frinton, suffering from burns to his chest and head.
Essex Air Ambulance landed on the beach near to the pier and flew the boy to Broomfield Hospital, where there is a specialist burns unit.
One man who works near to where it happened said: "I don't think he is fatally hurt or anything but I would imagine he was terrified. There were lots of people about."
He added that in the past the victim had helped out on a kiosk in the seafront area.
A police spokeswoman said she could not give details of the incident as two people had been arrested.
But she said: "Police were called to The Parade in Walton on the Naze at approximately 3.40pm where they found a boy of 12 with burns to his head and chest.
"The boy was airlifted to Broomfield Hospital. It is not believed, at this stage, that his injuries are life threatening.
"A tin of lighter fluid was recovered from the scene and two people have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
"They are a 17-year-old boy from Dovercourt and a 15-year-old boy from Frinton."
The spokeswoman added that anyone with any information or who saw anything is asked to contact Clacton Police on 01255 221312.
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