A Fife mum has shared an urgent warning about the hazards of leaving aerosol-filled cans in cars in hot weather after a close call.
Claire Hogg hadn't realised how dangerous a simple aerosol can combined with rising temperatures could be until it was too late.
The mum was shocked to find her car windscreen smashed after a can of Xtreme Tyre, which is used to instantly repair punctures, exploded.
Describing the effect as a "tornado of damage", photos of the aftermath show the impact of the explosion had cracked her windscreen and sprayed hazardous latex liquid across parts of the car.
Urging people to "think twice" before leaving aerosol cans in a car, Claire said: "Anyone that carries any aerosols in your car, including ones that are meant to be designed to be carried in a car such as this can of tyre inflater, which was put in the car by the manufacture when we first got it brand new.
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"This can has exploded inside the car causing a tornado of damage because of the hot weather we have been having and the car sitting ‘not often’ used."
The mum has also spoken of how lucky the family were that she hadn't been driving with her children when the can exploded, which could have resulted in serious injuries.
"I thank whoever must be looking out for us as I had intended to use this car today with the intentions of taking Emily out with me and God forbid what may have happened to us had I been driving at the time.
"Please check every little ‘cubby hole’ in your vehicle and make sure you aren’t storing any hazardous materials that may cause a serious accident or damage, I’m just grateful this happened to us whilst the car was stationary with no one inside or near.
"I would hate to think of this happening to someone else and they might not be as lucky", she added.
Other aerosol products in pressurised canisters include the likes of spray deodorant and hairspray. These can also become dangerous in summer as they become increasingly likely to explode with rising temperatures.
Aerosol products can also ignite easily even at low temperatures, making them a fire risk. It's suggested they are protect from sunlight and not exposed to temperatures exceeding 50 °C.
