TESCO is urgently investigating a complaint that a two-year-old girl was almost strangled by a loose thread from a pillow case.
Pictures of Abbie Rust show a clear red mark which her mother says was caused by the thread tightening around her neck twice as she slept.
Caroline Gallagher, from Liverpool, says the thread was so tight she could barely get a finger underneath the material to release it.
The potentially deadly situation was only discovered by luck when a friend came home from night shift and checked in on Abbie.
Tesco has started an investigation into the £13.50 Dreamscene Satin Stripe duvet and pillow set, which Caroline bought online. She want the firm to remove the item from sale immediately.
Caroline and Abbie were asleep in the same double bed in the early hours of Sunday, August 26, when the incident happened.
Her sister, Kerrie Gallagher, took to the supermarket’s Facebook page later in the week to post a warning to others.
Kerrie posted a picture of the red mark around Abbie’s neck with the caption: “Please Share! So this is the result of a piece of cotton being wrapped around my niece’s neck in the middle of the night from a super king bedspread from Tesco Direct.
“My sister’s partner shouted her this morning saying the baby had cotton wrapped around her neck, so when she checked there was a piece of cotton that was doubled around the baby’s neck! She managed to cut the string free, but this could have been a lot worse.”
The store responded online: “I’m so sorry a loose thread from our duvet set was able to wrap around your niece’s neck in the middle of the night! I can only imagine how frightening this must have been for her and her parents.
“I’m glad this has been reported to us and my colleagues are getting this looked into. If you do need anything else at all though please let me know and I’ll be more than happy to help.”
Caroline, a senior healthcare assistant, said today (Mon): “My friend had come in off the night shift, and had checked in on her while she was sleeping. It was lucky it was so early, and he shouted that there was something wrapped around her neck.
“I tried to get my fingers under the first piece of cotton, but it just pulled the second one tighter around her neck. I managed to snap it with my fingernails, but the cotton was almost like cheese wire and it did hurt her.
“She’s had a red mark on her neck for over a week where the blood has gathered under the skin, and she’s been complaining all week that it is sore. It’s only started fading now.”
She added: “They offered me a refund, but I think they should take if off the shelves. They said they would ‘maybe’ consider this, but there’s no maybe about it. She’s only two years old, and she comes into my bed during the night a lot.
“I mean she is only two, and I find it disgusting that this has happened. I’ve never had a bedspread do that in my life.”
A Tesco spokesman said: “There’s nothing more important than the safety of our products so we take great care when designing and producing our bed spreads. We are urgently investigating this incident and we will update Ms Gallagher with our findings.”
