A WEBSITE by Wirral youngsters copying dangerous stunts from a TV programme has been condemned by politicians, watchdogs and the fire service.
The site features youngsters filming themselves performing a range of dangerous stunts.
They include pouring petrol on themselves and lighting it, one picture of a boy apparently being hit by a car, and a boy pressing his head into a "bed of nails" leaving puncture wounds across his forehead.
The stunts came to light after one of the teenage boys filmed his 10-year-old friend who was accidentally set on fire while filming a stunt.
The mother of one of the boys involved in making the website, Live Now, Die Later, said she had stopped her son having any more involvement in the site.
She said: "I think it is dangerous and irresponsible."
Birkenhead MP Frank Field said he was appalled by the contents of the website. He said: "Each time I hear of these horror stories I hope there will be nothing more that can shock me. But, I keep being proved wrong."
The website features pictures and video footage which are inspired by the MTV and Channel Four programme Jackass, which is made in America and shows people performing dangerous and unpleasant stunts.
A spokesman for Merseyside Fire Service said: "Sometimes words almost fail when confronted with such stupidity.
"The consequences of being injured by fire can be appalling and it's obvious that courting injury like this is idiotic.
"We note the website says some pictures have been removed and that in one case a boy got badly burned. There is a warning that these stunts should not be copied. These are weasel words and it's obvious that children will not only copy them but seek to exceed them."
Roger Vincent, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "People could be maimed for life as a result of this.
"If it's not you that gets hurt doing this, it could be one of your friends and you would have to live with the consequences.
"The internet is notoriously hard to police, and this is kids looking for self glorification, but particularly for the younger ones it's down to the parents to explain to them what could go wrong and the consequences."
John Beyer is director of Mediawatch UK, the organisation set up by Mary Whitehouse 40 years ago to monitor television programmes.
He said: "What people in television need to understand is that what they do in the programmes they make does influence people who view them."
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