Schoolboy nearly dies after taking part in bizarre and dangerous new playground trend

"Freddie had swallowed the first two magnets at school on the Tuesday, and although I didn't know at the time, he then swallowed two more later that day.

"He told me on the Wednesday that he had swallowed two magnets and at that time I thought they would just pass.

"On the Wednesday night he started with stomach ache, but by the Friday morning he told me that the stomach ache wouldn't go away and he said it had kept him awake the night before.

"I rang the doctors on the Friday morning and I told them about swallowing the magnets. They asked how many he had swallowed, which is when Freddie told me it was four."

"He said as a medical professional he could not believe that he had not been in more pain. When I saw him in recovery he was wired up to drips and Freddie moved his oxygen mask and the first thing he said was 'what about skiing

because he was due to go on a skiing trip with school in March!"

"I feel I am a fairly astute mum but I had no idea what damage these magnets could do. I thought they would just pass if you swallowed them. I want to warn other parents who don't know about them and make people aware of the dangers they can cause.

"I believe they should definitely be banned as they had been in America. These magnets are extra powerful and come in different colours and clearly kids are going to be attracted to them."

"I think these magnets should be banned in every country. I know a lot of people who have them and they put them in their mouths, noses and even in their eyelids. I was really worried about the other children in school and if any of them may have swallowed any."