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A 68-year old man has become the first person in the UK to win compensation for injuries suffered from sitting on a so called ‘toxic sofa’.

Maurice Heminsley, 68, from the West Midlands received a four-figure compensation payout after his imported Chinese leather settee landed him in hospital with severe chemical burns.

He suffered a rash across his neck, bottom, back and legs within days of paying £1,100 for the sofa in November 2007.

He had weeping open sores that refused to heal and left him in agony.

The sofa, sold to him by local retailer Furniture Warehouse, had been packed with a sachet of the toxic fungicide dimethyl fumarate (DMF).

Experts believe thousands of other people who have also suffered burns and rashes from DMF, which has since been banned across the EU, could now follow Mr Heminsley’s example and pursue claims for compensation.

If you have been affected please call our specialist compensation lawyers free on 0800 0891331 for expert advice on how to pursue a claim.

Mr Heminsley, from the West Midlands, said: "The compensation means I can now put this really painful episode in the past. However, I'm annoyed that more wasn't done to protect consumers."

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