A warning has been issued after a 12-year-old boy was left seriously injured by a squishy toy that exploded.
Avyaan Narula, from Southport, was playing with a NeeDoh cube during a heatwave on July 17 when the toy burst, spilling warm, sticky goo onto his left foot.
The incident left him with full-dermal burns and required a skin graft.
His mum, Aarti Narula, 44, said: "He was in the kitchen and suddenly started screaming.
"I rushed to him and I saw the fluid from the inside of the cube had gone onto his foot and onto the floor.
"I think it just exploded and popped and the fluid went onto his foot."
She immediately washed the sticky substance from his foot under cold water, but an hour later, the skin began to blister.
He was later taken to A&E at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where he was diagnosed with full-dermal burns.
On July 20, Avyaan underwent surgery to remove the damaged tissue and replace it with a skin graft from his thigh.
Doctors said the injury had destroyed the blood supply to the area, making the graft necessary.
Ms Narula believes the toy burst because it was left on a sunlit windowsill and overheated in the hot weather.
She said: "The only we think is that it was left in his windowsill which gets really hot because it's a sun-facing room."
The NeeDoh brand, made by Schylling Toys, carries a warning on its website: "Do NOT heat, freeze, or microwave, may cause personal injury."
Lidl, where the toy was purchased, said it includes all relevant safety guidance on its packaging and that the product meets regulatory standards.
A Lidl GB spokesperson said: "We are very sorry to hear of this incident and wish Avyaan a full and smooth recovery.
"The safety and quality of our products is always a priority, and we take any issue of this nature extremely seriously.
"Relevant usage and safety instructions are included on the packaging of this product and we can confirm it is fully compliant with all safety standards."
Ms Narula, an operational service manager in the NHS, is now warning other parents about the potential dangers of the toys.
She said: "Everyone whose got these cubes should just bin them.
"You can’t say that they’re okay and safe to use in the cold weather—how do you tell that to the children?
"Definitely make sure that your children don’t go anywhere near this."
Schylling, the manufacturer, said the toy is not intended for use in extreme temperatures.
A spokesperson for Schylling, who manufacture NeeDoh, said: "The safety of our consumers, especially children, is Schylling's top priority.
"NeeDoh products are designed and tested to meet applicable toy safety standards. NeeDoh products are not intended to be microwaved, heated, frozen, or otherwise exposed to extreme temperatures. Use of a NeeDoh product in a manner inconsistent with its instructions and warnings may pose a safety risk.
"We have also reinforced safety warnings on NeeDoh product packaging and across our e-commerce listings.
"We encourage parents and caregivers to supervise children during play and to review all product instructions and warnings before use. Consumers with questions about the safe use of NeeDoh products, or who wish to report a concern, are encouraged to contact Schylling customer service at info@schylling.com."
One online toy seller's safety instructions now states "do not leave the product in the car or in direct sunlight".
Despite these warnings, Ms Narula believes the product is fundamentally unsafe.
She said: "I think it’s massively dangerous because this could happen again.
"They’re being sold everywhere.
"If it’s the case that the fluid inside, or the outside of the cube, doesn’t tolerate the heat and it can burst or pop then that’s definitely dangerous."
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