Moss Side Toddler Drinks Caustic Soda

17 January 2013, 11:32 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A two year old has been taken to hospital after he opened a bottle in a supermarket and drank a corrosive substance in Moss Side.

On Monday evening, police were called to Manchester Children’s Hospital after a little boy was brought in with burns to his throat and stomach.

On the Sunday, the toddler was out shopping with his mum when they went into a shop on Claremont Road in Moss Side.

The boy was strapped into his pushchair and when his mum wasn't looking he reached over to a bottle containing caustic soda, he took the top off and drank some of the product.

The toddler is still in hospital where his condition is described as serious but stable.

An investigation’s underway between Greater Manchester Police and Cheshire East Council Trading Standards to find out what happened.

Superintendent Sarah Jones from South Manchester Division, said: "Caustic soda is a highly toxic chemical commonly found in drain and oven cleaners.

"If it is touched, inhaled or swallowed it can cause severe burns. This little boy took a drink from a bottle and is now seriously ill in hospital.

"I want to take this opportunity to remind people when storing products of this nature to make sure the lids of the bottles are on tightly, keep them in a cool place and out of reach from children, preferably in a locked cupboard."