Giant hogweed: four-year-old girl may be left with lifelong scars after brush with UK's most dangerous plant

Warning: this story features a graphic photo which may upset some readers

Another child has been left with what could be lifelong scars, after a brush with giant hogweed while visiting a woodland park with her family.

In a widely shared post on social media, seen by NationalWorld, mum Keri Beacall said her family took a trip to Delamere Forest over the August Bank Holiday long weekend, when her four-year-old daughter Aurora is believed to have come into contact with what is sometimes described as Britain's most dangerous plant.

The preschooler soon developed severe blistering on one of her legs, ending up in the Alder Hey Children's Hospital's burns unit, her mum said. Aurora needed to have her legs chemically cleaned, and the scars will likely remain for life.

"[She has still] got a long way to go and more hospital appointments before she is fully recovered from this," Ms Beacall wrote in the post. "Luckily the weather wasn't good so I put leggings on her, or things could of been a lot worse for her."

She also told the Mirror that medics said Aurora's injuries ranked somewhere between a burn from boiling water, and one from a fire.

Giant hogweed is a highly invasive weed, which was introduced from Southeast Europe as an ornamental garden plant. It can grow up to 20 feet tall and can spread out to cover up to two metres of ground.

The plant is dangerous because of its sap, which contains a chemical called furocoumarin. Getting it on your skin makes it extremely sensitive to the sun, which can lead to severe burns and blistering - that can ever recur months later.

Giant hogweed can damage more than just the skin. If the sap gets into your eyes it can cause temporary or permanent blindness, and breathing in sap particles can cause respiratory problems. Most people that come into contact with the plant require hospitalisation

Pet owners are also urged to take care, as it can have a similar effect on dogs.

Aurora is not the only UK child who has suffered serious burns after coming into contact with giant hogweed. Last year, another four-year-old girl suffered horrific blisters on her hand from touching giant hogweed.

NationalWorld's sister title ManchesterWorld reported she came into contact with the plant in Longsight Park in Harwood. The young girl was hospitalised with second-degree burns.

Giant hogweed can be found UK-wide, but most commonly grows on riverbanks or near waterways. The plant is in the some family as parsley, carrots, and coriander - and can sometimes be mistaken for cow parsley or common hogweed before it grows too big.