Girl, 13, suffers burns after fire 'kicked at her' in horror incident

A 13-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after a fire was 'kicked at her' on a playing field. The schoolgirl suffered burns to her legs following the incident in St Helens last Friday evening (October 11).

Police say the incident is being investigated as an assault. The teenager was out with her friends at Blackbrook playing fields, on Boardmans Lane, at around 6pm.

Merseyside Police says a fire, which had reportedly been started by boys nearby, was kicked at the victim. She was taken to hospital for treatment.

READ MORE: Two people rushed to hospital as major road closed following crash

Enquiries are ongoing and officers will be carrying out high-visibility patrols in the area in the coming days, according to Merseyside Police. Local Policing Inspector Josh Griffiths said: "Our inquiries continue and I'd encourage anyone with information to come forward as soon as possible.

"This was a concerning incident and officers will be speaking to the victim and her family to offer support. Lighting fires can have catastrophic consequences and we work closely with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service throughout the year to respond to such incidents, and to educate young people about the dangers."

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact @MerpolCC on social media, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, with reference 24000870193.