Hair today - gone tomorrow 
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Hair potion plan ended in tragedy
A WOMAN and her partner were turned into human "fireballs" after an attempt to make a hair restoration potion went tragically wrong.
Sandra Dolan had been staying with her partner Stephen McNerlin at a cottage in Church Lane, Crowle, when the horrific accident happened.
The 41-year-old divorced secretary had been boiling alcohol on an Aga (old fashioned English cooker) and was adding vitamins to it to try and prevent hair loss, on Friday, August 24, an inquest at Worcester heard.
"Sandra had been suffering from hair loss, which was upsetting her," said Worcestershire Coroner Victor Round.
"This was a mixture she had been advised to try for external application." Mr Round said Ms Dolan had been embarrassed by her condition.
r McNerlin, of Foredraught Lane in Crowle, bought some pure alcohol and the couple had planned to add the vitamin tablets and boil the mixture before applying it to Ms Dolan's scalp.
He had placed the glass container with the alcohol on one of the Aga's plates, but had not pushed the lid back to the correct position, said Mr Round.
"The lid fell down and smashed the glass container. The alcohol went all over both of them, ignited and they became like fireballs," the coroner said.
The couple were rushed to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham with serious burns.
But four days later, Ms Dolan, of Sybil Phoenix Close, Detford, London, died of toxic shock syndrome brought on by the 40 per cent burns.
Forty-eight-year-old Mr McNerlin survived 50 per cent burns and told staff at the hospital what had happened.
A police investigation began, but an inspection of the kitchen was hindered by "good Samaritan" neighbours who had tidied it after the accident.
"Their initial impression was one of an explosion, but the Aga was checked and was not faulty," said Mr Round.
A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
http://www.thisisworcester.co.uk/worcestershire/worcester/news/WEN_NEWS_LATEST6.html
Submitted on 03/05/02
Submitted by:
ike
Reference:
Worcester Evening News 5 Mar
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