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PUB HORROR
Nurse, 28, reveals horrific injuries suffered after pub heater explosion left her with severe burns on face & chest
A CHILDREN'S nurse who fought for her life on a ventilator after a pub heater exploded has bravely shared photos of her horrific injuries.
Ashleigh Charlesworth suffered burns on her face, chest and hands during the blast, which allegedly happened when accelerant was sprayed onto a camping stove at the King's Head pub near Sudbury, Suffolk.
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The 28-year-old, who needed a skin graft on her hands, has now told her story in a moving TikTok video.
In captions, she told followers: "This year has been my worst.
"But I'm still alive and pushing forward."
In one photo, Ashleigh can be seen in a hospital bed with her head wrapped in bandages and blisters on her forehead, cheeks, lips, chin and ears.
She also shared images of her healing after leaving the ward, writing: "My world turned upside down."
Amazingly, she is battling back to health and has since returned to the gym, writing in another post: "You can overcome anything."
Ashleigh and her cousin April, 28, were rushed to hospital in April after a drinker reportedly sprayed ethanol onto the burner's naked flame.
April, who needed skin grafts to her face and chest, said: "All I remember is my face being on fire."
'YOU CAN OVERCOME ANYTHING'
In May, Ashleigh's dad Paul Charlesworth said the women had been left in agony.
“Someone brought a heater to the pub but it exploded and Ashleigh and her cousin got sprayed in the face," he said.
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“They were badly burned and taken to hospital.
“Ashleigh was put on a ventilator for two days and needed operations on her hands.
“The doctors are trying their hardest not to do anything to her face as they hope the skin can heal itself.
“She’s having to wear a special mask on her face still as these types of burns can carry on damaging skin for days.
“She is in extreme pain and needs to have her skin chemically cleaned.
BRAVE NURSE'S FIGHT
“What’s happened has only sunk in for Ashleigh over the last couple of days.
“It’s so unfortunate as she is such a hero who does so much for the NHS.”
Ashleigh, who worked in hospitals at the height of the pandemic, was hurt less than a fortnight after pubs and restaurants reopened outside spaces to customers after months of lockdown.
Neighbours reported hearing screams as the stove exploded in a fireball next to an outside table.
The gas-fuelled burner was taken to the pub garden by drinkers to keep themselves warm, witnesses said.
IT consultant John Collings, 41, who lives next door said: “I was watching a film when I heard a woman screaming loudly at around 10pm before hearing ambulances and police arrive.
“Before that there was just the general pub noise of people enjoying themselves in the garden.
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“I went out at about 11.30pm and saw blue lights were still flashing and spotlights had been set up by police.
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“There were people hanging around and the police were telling them to move on. I also saw a helicopter with a searchlight."
King’s Head landlady Sarah Bond said on the pub’s Facebook page: “The heating appliance was not one supplied by the pub, but was brought onto the premises without our knowledge."
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