outside the department before handing in the petition.
AS the excitement of dressing up for Halloween is over for another year, a Melksham mother is urging people to sign her petition to make Halloween a safer time for all children.
Halloween costumes that are sold throughout the country currently do not come under fire safety regulations as they are classified as ‘toys’ and not ‘clothes.’ The issue came to national attention last year when Strictly Come Dancing celebrity, Claudia Winkleman’s eight-year-old daughter was badly burned when her Halloween costume caught alight in just seconds.
However, a year later, with no government action taken, Emma Smith from Melksham started her own online petition, hosted by 38 Degrees, which has now attracted over 56,000 signatures.
In the run up to this year’s Halloween, Emma took her petition, which had topped over 55,000, to London to hand the petition to the Secretary of State for Business and Innovation.
Largely imported, the costumes are often made out of synthetic high fire risk materials. These synthetic inflammable materials can be absorbed into the skin to cause horrific burns when they catch alight, often requiring extensive and agonising plastic surgery.
The call for reclassification of these garments as clothing for children is supported by parents, Fire Officers, and clinicians – and has featured on the BBC Watchdog programme.
Emma is still urging everyone to support the petition although Halloween has passed, by following the link to https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/reclassify-children-s-fancy-dress-clothes-from-toys-to-clothing-standards
