A DISMAYED Poundland customer has claimed a faulty USB power bank from the shop caused him serious burns.

Stephen Bates, of Sackville Road in Hove, bought the power bank for his mobile phone from the discount store’s branch in North Street, Brighton.

But he claimed the device malfunctioned when he plugged it in, becoming searingly hot and leaving him with a painful burn on his finger.

He said: “It was quite a sharp, searing pain, I had to drop it because it became too much to stand.

“I was so shocked, you just don’t expect it.

“I bought a second one but I just don’t trust it now.”

Mr Bates has since complained to the retailer but claimed it had done nothing to help him.

He said: “We feel that we’ve been treated like rubbish.

“This is a dangerous product that should not have been on the shelves.

“I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone else who buys these items as it could cause a fire or another injury like mine.”

Mr Bates, who lives with his mother, who is disabled, said the injury had made it harder to care for her.

He said: “I do the cooking and I push her wheelchair around and this has made it much harder to do these things.

“It’s been difficult because of the pain, yesterday I dropped dinner on the floor.

“I’ve been to the doctor and she said it was a serious burn. It’s still not healed more than a week later.”

According to Mr Bates, his was not the only incident of a dangerous malfunction involving the store’s £1 power banks.

He said: “I’ve heard other examples of the same or a similar thing happening, so I worry that it’s not a safe product.”

Mr Bates said he has since spoken to Trading Standards about it.

He said: “They have asked me to send it off to them and they’re going to look into it. I hope they do something because Poundland can’t keep selling these.”

A Poundland spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear of this. We have passed the details to the customer services team and I’m sure they will be back in touch with Stephen directly.”