'Parents failing on child safety'

Their warning coincides with the launch of Child Safety Week which aims to drive home an array of life-saving safety messages to parents.

Run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) the campaign is backed by an array of statistics underlining the deadly serious safety message.

Among the most shocking is the sobering fact that six children a week die in the UK as a result of avoidable accidents.

A further 2000 are rushed to hospital every week with injuries ranging from the trivial to permanent physical disfigurement.

Worse affected are the under fives, an age group which suffers most from lethal accidents or otherwise avoidable injuries.

More than 500 under fives are rushed to hospital casualty units every week because of burns and scalds - and hot drinks are the number one cause. Up to 20 children are admitted to hospital every day because they are thought to have swallowed something poisonous, many of them under fives.

While the figures are a grim reminder of human frailty bosses with the CAPT claim that in many cases simple foresight can literally save lives.

"Most families are well aware of the dangers to children. But an alarming number don't put their knowledge into practice," said Katrina Phillips, CAPT chief executive. "It's not about blame. We know it's hard when you're busy caring for a family. It's easy to think that a serious accident won't happen to your child. But taking a few simple safety precautions can make a real difference to their safety."

She added: "Our theme for Child Safety Week is 'Make a change. Make a difference.' We're asking parents and grandparents to think about their everyday behaviour and routines, and see what they can change to make their children safer both at home and while out and about."