A new children's book aimed at parents and carers of two to five year olds has been launched to highlight the dangers of hot drinks.

' Lizzie's Accident ', written by the Children's Fire & Burn Trust , will be distributed by West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service (WSFRS) during Child Safety Week [ 19-25 June ].

The beautifully illustrated book sensitively tells the true story of a little girl called Lizzie who was severely scalded by a cup of tea at a mother and toddler group. The book has been written to promote the very real dangers of scalding and contains simple prevention and first aid messages that parents and carers can read to children.

Statistics from the Child Accident Prevention Trust show that every year, over 40,000 children are injured in burn and scald accidents with over 28,000 being under five years old. Hot liquids cause 70% of all thermal injuries (injuries caused by heat) to children and the most common single cause of scalds is hot drinks.

Firefighters from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service will promote the book at local nursery schools in Sussex.

Liz Turnbull , community education officer for the Children's Fire & Burn Trust and co-author of the book, said: "In the course of our work with the children's ward at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead , we have learnt that large numbers of children under the age of four are being injured with hot tea, coffee and bath water. We have been working to warn parents and carers of the dangers of hot liquids and have written a short story to get the message across. Please remember - hot water burns like fire."

Lizzie, the book's inspiration, was just 13 months old when she was accidentally burnt by a tray of tea and coffee cups at a mother and toddler group. She suffered severe scalding and now lives with significant scarring.

WSFRS Community Fire Safety Officer Jackie Boyle said: "'Lizzie's Accident' is a fantastic book that delivers a very valuable message. Scalding is an injury that we see all too often as a young child's skin is thinner and more sensitive to heat than adults and therefore burns more quickly.

"This book is as important for parents and carers as it is for the children themselves. If it stops one child from being injured then it has been a success."

Simple prevention tips for parents and carers to avoid scalding include:

· Always place hot drinks out of the reach of children. A drink will remain hot enough to scald for up to 15 minutes after it has been poured.

· Tap water is hot enough to scald.

· If you run a bath for yourself or members of your family, run the cold water first, then add the hot and always check the temperature of the water using your elbow.

· Fast action can reduce scarring so always submerge the burned area in cool water for a minimum of 10 minutes.

'Lizzie's Accident' has been written by Liz Turnbull and Donna Smith . The book retails at £1.50, with all profits going to the Children's Fire & Burns Trust. For more information, please contact Liz Turnbull by email

Visit the Childrens Fire & Burn Trust website:

Find out more about the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead: http://www.qvh.nhs.uk/