Teenage boy died after fire prank

Firefighters clearing the scene of the lorry fire

An inquest has heard how schoolboy may have died while trying to impress girls by playing with fire.

The hearing at Pontypridd heard was told that 13-year-old Andrew Phillips from Whitchurch, Cardiff, was with two of his friends and two teenage girls on an industrial estate in Treforest, near Pontypridd, on the night he died.

Andrew could have been lighting the cups in order to impress the girls who were there

Fire Officer Alan Hughes

The boys began setting fire to polystyrene cups in the back of a parked lorry trailer as the girls watched.

But one of the blazing cups landed on a foam settee dumped next to the trailer, and it burst into flames.

His two friends escaped but Andrew was trapped by the thick toxic smoke and died from inhaling the fumes.

The inquest heard that the industrial estate was a regular haunt for children.

Andrew Phillips: Blaze victim

Detective Inspector Paul Fenton said: "The boys climbed inside the lorry trailer and started setting fire to the cups with a lighter.

"They were throwing them outside and it would appear one landed on a foam settee and ignited."

Running jump

The officer said two of the boys jumped out and tried to extinguish the fire.

"They heard Andrew say he was going to get out and saw him take a step back as if he was going to make a running jump," he added.

"The boys ran off frightened they would get into trouble and assumed Andrew had run off in another direction."

Firemen arrived minutes later and found the teenager dead inside the trailer.

The boys ran off frightened they would get into trouble and assumed Andrew had run off in another direction

Detective Inspector Paul Fenton

Fire officer Alan Hughes said: "The foam filled settee had been placed beneath the trailer doors," he said.

"Andrew could have been lighting the cups in order to impress the girls who were there."

A post mortem examination revealed the cause of death was inhalation of fumes and gases.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, coroner Philip Walters said: "This sort of tragedy happens all too frequently because of the natural inquisiteveness of young people exploring abandoned vehicles and buildings."