A MUM-of-three had a lucky escape after a tea light holder exploded and set fire to a table.

Allyson Wright had stepped out of her conservatory for a moment when the smoke alarm at her home in Green Lane, Lower Broadheath, suddenly sounded.

She returned to find the room had filled with smoke and the table had set alight after a glass tea light holder she had bought from Homebase in Hylton Road, Worcester, had exploded.

The quick-thinking 45-year-old was able to stop the flames from spreading with a bucket of water, but she fears more damage could have been done had her smoke alarm not been so sensitive.

While she has been offered a refund by Homebase for the faulty holder and damaged items, Mrs Wright is urging the DIY store to recall the product for the safety of other homeowners.

“I want Homebase to realise how serious this is and to warn other people to be careful,” said the hairdresser. “I don’t leave candles unattended. If it’s happened to me it could happen to someone else. It was frightening.

“Had I not had my smoke alarm, the damage could have been quite horrific.

“It was advertised as a tea light holder – it should be heat resistant.

“People should make sure they don’t leave these things unattended.”

In a statement, Homebase said it takes all reports of such incidents seriously and has rigorous quality control procedures in place to ensure the products comply with relevant legislation and standards, taking the appropriate action as necessary.

It said: “This is the first report we have received relating to the safety of this product and we will continue to monitor the product performance to ensure customer safety is not compromised.”