A quick-thinking kitchen worker was today praised for saving a woman from a nasty facial scar.

It happened at the King's Head pub in Blue Anchor Lane, West Tilbury, when a 38-year-old cook was lifting a pot of gravy off a cooker.

While holding the pot the handle broke, splashing boiling gravy onto her eyes and face.

Fortunately an alert colleague immediately made sure that her face was put under running cold water.

She wouldn't let ambulance paramedics examine her eyes. An air ambulance took her to Broomfield Hospital's burns unit.

Operations manager, Lee Gillam, praised the action of the colleague, and said: "The gravy went into the woman's eyes and burnt her face.

"Fortunately a colleague realised what had happened and made sure they kept cold water running across the wounds. This has undoubtedly reduced the inflammation around the eyes and saved her from serious scarring.

"Despite a lot of pain, her eyes should be all right and she will make a full recovery."

Published Tuesday July 20, 2004

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