A mum says her son was almost ‘strangled to death’ when a fly curtain became tangled around his neck, and is now warning other parents to take care with home fixtures.
Sophi MacAngus, 30, was horrified when son Harrison MacAngus, 10, got caught in a fly curtain while visiting his grandma last week.
She said he was running into the garden from inside the house when he got tangled in the strands and was thrown backwards.
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Thankfully, Harrison’s dad Danny MacAngus, 30, saw what had happened and managed to free his son within seconds.
However, mum-of-one Sophi is worried that, if roofer Danny hadn’t been there, things may not have turned out okay.
She is now sharing their story as a warning to other parents to take down fly curtains, which she doesn’t think should be legal.
The care agency director from Manchester, said: "It could have been worse if it had been tighter. It could have strangled him to death, 100 per cent.
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"He was running out of the hall and it got tangled around his neck, wrapped round him, strangled him and flung him back.
"His dad ran straight for him, took it off and his neck was all burned and sliced.
"Harrison was really sad and it really hurt him. I don't think he would have used his initiative to untangle it, he probably would have made it tighter."
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Sophi said she had her own paper net up at home, but has now taking it down – asking other family members to follow suit.
She continued: "They shouldn't be legal. They're supposed to be lightweight so you can walk through them, they can get knotted.
"Other parents need to take them down, you don't need them. I'd rather chase a fly around the house all day long than be in that situation again.
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"I'd never in a million years to buy one or advise anyone to. There will be children who die if this continues to happen."
A shocking photo shows Harrison’s bright red burn mark where the strings had become knotted around his throat.
After Sophi shared it online, other parents said their own children had also been hurt by fly curtains.
One wrote: "Had this happen with my boy years ago. Dangerous AF. Hope the little lads ok."
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Another said: "This happened to one of my children and a friend at mine. Chucked it in the end.”
A third said: "Similar happened to my son but with an extendable dog lead. Any kind of strings etc are so dodgy with kids."
Someone else added: "Those mesh ones are better (the screen ones). I learned this when my son thought he was a chimpanzee."
Jess Hardiman