A dad has told how he rushed his son into a cold shower after the toddler was accidentally scalded by a pot of tea at their Dartmouth home.

Little Alban Harris was sitting at the dining table when he pulled over the teapot, scalding himself across his chest and legs.

His dad James quickly scooped him up and carried him into a shower to get cold water on the burns as soon as possible.

This week three-and-a-half-year-old Alban was being cared for in the specialist burns unit at Frenchay Hospital, near Bristol, with mum Gemma at his bedside.

James, who has run the 11 Clothing business in Duke Street for the last five years, said: 'He is doing well. He is all bandaged up but he is doing well.'

Alban was at home on Sunday with mum, dad and his eight-week-old baby brother Milo when the accident happened at around 9am.

A land ambulance took Alban from the top of the town to Coronation Park where an air ambulance was able to land and pick him up. Then the youngster was flown straight to the hospital in Bristol.

'It was pretty scary,' said James. 'Natural instincts took over a little bit. Alban was really quite distressed. I grabbed him and managed to get him into the shower as quickly as possible.'

He added: 'We really want to say thank you to the ambulance crew and the air ambulance people because they were really great.'

He said the ambulance personnel were treating Alban for some 15 to 20 minutes before they were able to get him into the ambulance in Coronation Park.

He added Alban was expected to remain in hospital until this weekend. Gemma is staying with him while Milo is being looked after by his grandma.