A Parkinson’s sufferer was treated for severe burns after sitting on his electrical heater "to warm up" and then being unable to get off it.

An Epsom fireman said the service was called out yesterday, January 11, at about 4.50pm, after receiving a call from the carer of a 68-year-old man living in Newton Wood Road, Ashtead.

He said firefighters were told the man had sat on his portable electric heater, which was on full power, and that he could not get up.

Two fire engines, one from Epsom and one from Leatherhead, and one ambulance rushed to his house.

The fireman said: "The gentleman had sat on his electrical heater.  

"He sat on it to warm up but he suffers from Parkinson’s and couldn’t get back up.

"We got him off it and he had full thickness burns to the back of his thigh about the size of a hand.

"It was quite a nasty injury and he was taken to hospital."

He said the man, who uses a walking frame, said he could not feel any pain, meaning that his burns may have penetrated his nerves and burned the nerve endings away.

The firefighter added: "He did very well. I hope he’s feeling better today."

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said that it was called to Newton Wood Road just after 4.50pm and a man was taken to hospital.