A WOMAN is advising people to beware after her kettle “went berserk” and left her with burns.

Sheila Crafter thought her Argos own brand Cookworks Illumination Kettle was going to “take off and go into orbit” when it started spluttering hot water.

She bought it in November from Argos in Western Road, Brighton, and said she was given a guarantee.

But she said she was injured in a dramatic kitchen nightmare.

Sheila, from Brighton, who hosts foreign students, said: “The kettle was going berserk. It was really hot and steamy.

“I thought it was going to take off and go into orbit. It was like a rocket taking off.

“There was so much steam and boiling water coming out of the spout.

“You’d have to see it to believe it.

“I thought it was going to explode. It was very dangerous.”

Shelia scrambled to turn the kettle off, but was injured in the process,” she said.

“I switched it off at the mains but I got a nasty burn on my left wrist and right forearm doing it. I burnt two layers of skin,” she added.

Now, Sheila wants others to be alert to potentially hazardous products.

She said: “I want to let people know about this king of thing.

“When I looked on the Argos website I was amazed there were 14 products on their recall list.

“How can they have so many products fail?

“Many of them are dangerous and not fit for purpose. There are some in breach of fire safety standards.

“On the list, there are pressure cookers, washing machines, mattresses – even baby sleeping bags. I had a cafetiere from Argos on the list and I took it back.”

Sheila’s kettle is not on the list, but she thinks it needs updating.

She said: “My kettle isn’t on there. But it should be.

“Argos shouldn’t be selling it.”

And Sheila thinks the problem could be more widespread than it seems.

She said: “It could have been a rogue kettle, and only that one was affected – but it could be a wider problem.

“I’m not doing this to take a pop at Argos because I’m sure there are other companies selling potentially dangerous products.”

Sheila has visited the store and returned the kettle.

Argos said it was sorry. A spokeswoman for the company said: “We have apologised to Sheila and are in touch to investigate her experience.

“We have arranged a refund and offered a gesture of goodwill.

"The safety of the thousands of products we sell is our priority. On the rare occasions an issue with an item is identified we display a recall notice on our website and, where possible, alert customers via email and through posters which we display in store."