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Two fight for lives in lightsaber blast
By Mike Tait, Metro Last updated at 00:00am on 24.05.05
Ewan McGregor with his lightsaber
Two Star Wars fans are fighting for their lives after a home-made lightsaber blew up in their faces.
Mark Webb, 20, and 17-year-old Shelley Mandiville were hurt as they set alight petrol poured into two fluorescent light tubes.
They were believed to have been filming the prank on video but it went terribly wrong when one device exploded.
The pair were showered with burning petrol, which set their clothes alight and left them with horrific burns.
Doctors said the injuries were so serious that the pair stood only a 50 per cent chance of survival.
The incident happened in woodland at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, on Sunday.
Fire crews called to the scene after reports of a blaze found the pair lying in agony on the ground.
Mr Webb had more than 40 per cent burns over his body.
The friends were stabilised in a local hospital before being transferred to a specialist burns unit in Chelmsford, Essex.
The accident comes as the sixth Star Wars film, Revenge Of The Sith, is attracting thousands of filmgoers to cinemas across Britain.
The box-office smash features a lightsabre battle between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen.
Police said copying scenes from Star Wars was 'the latest craze' among children and young people. Despite this, officers were keeping an open mind about the exactly what had happened.
A spokesman said: 'They could have been using the tubes as lightsabers but we cannot confirm what they were doing until all parties have been interviewed.
'Our investigations are at a very early stage.'
It is thought they were filming the prank with a hand-held video camera. Avideo cassette found at the scene looked as if it contained footage of the game.
Another report suggested one of the fluorescent tubes was being used as a javelin.
It is not yet known whether other young people were involved in the incident.
