MUM Lana Tasker could hardly believe her eyes when she returned home to find her patio furniture had been destroyed by an exploding candle.

Miss Tasker, 45, of Rowe Mead, Chippenham, said: “When I first walked out there I couldn’t understand what had happened.

“My garden table and parasol were all burnt and in pieces.”

She then saw bits of orange candle splattered around her garden and realised a candle she had only bought the day before from Lidl in Chippenham had caused the damage.”

She said: “I bought the citronella candle, which cost £1.79, last Wednesday and put it out in the garden on Thursday which was a very hot day. I didn’t light it.

“I went out and when I came back about an hour and a half later there was this devastation. The table had a glass top and that was totally broken. It was a big candle about the size of a gala melon and wasn’t in a holder. It must have reacted to the heat of the sun.”

Miss Tasker had thought about leaving her dog Eliza in the garden and is relieved that she changed her mind.

She said: “I had put the dog in the garden because it was hot but I decided to go back in and leave her in the kitchen with the fan on as I was worried she wouldn’t lie in the shade.

“I am so glad I did otherwise I dread to think what could have happened to her.”

Miss Tasker, who suffers from a rare chronic illness that affects her joints and breathing, is still recovering from recent surgery.

She said: “This has been so stressful for me as I keep on thinking about what might have happened and that does not help my condition.

“My four-year-old granddaughter also visits me a lot and I have created her a fairy garden. She loves to play in it but now it is spoilt by why has happened.”

Miss Tasker contacted Lidl soon after the incident on Thursday and again on Friday but has not been happy with the response.

She said: “I am worried that this could happen to someone else and people need to be warned. I have sent Lidl customer services pictures that they requested and they said they would get back to me but I haven’t heard anything more this week.

She also contacted Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service for advice and an officer called at her home to make sure there was no further danger.

She said: “He was worried as I had a gas barbecue but luckily there was no bottled gas.”

A spokesman for Lidl said: “At Lidl, we take product safety extremely seriously and were therefore very concerned to learn of this matter. 
“Our Quality Assurance team are investigating with the supplier and will keep the customer updated on the outcome. 
“We would urge any customers that have bought this candle to review the safety guidance displayed on the product label, which includes the symbol denoting that the product should not be placed near a source of heat.”