POLICE are to question a Darwen schoolboy to find out exactly how he sustained life-threatening burns in a stunt prompted by a TV show.

Joe Armstrong, 11, of Tunnel Street, a pupil at Tockholes Primary School, sustained deep 15 per cent burns to his chest and thighs when petrol was thrown on to a fire he had been jumping over with friends in Anchor Avenue, Darwen.

The incident was caught on video because the boys had been filming dangerous stunts, like the ones in controversial MTV and Channel 4 show 'Jackass', for a website run by one of the boys.

But police, who launched a separate investigation after a teenager had his head punctured by nails in another stunt that was filmed by pals, said they still needed all the facts about the incident, on April 15.

Detective Sergeant Mark Rothwell, of Darwen CID, said: "We do plan to speak to Joe this week. He has suffered some serious injuries and through being very poorly we have not managed to speak to him.

"It is only right that now he has returned home we speak to him to see exactly what happened."

Joe spent over three weeks in Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Manchester, after the incident which will leave him scarred for life.

He returned home last Thursday - his birthday - after undergoing skin graft operations. However, he will need further operations in the coming months.

He is currently going back to the hospital every other day to have dressings on the burns changed.

The boys' actions were condemned by police and fire officials but when it was found their actions had been influenced by 'Jackass', the show was condemned by MPs and TV watchdogs.

Television regulator Ofcom has also said it will consider Joe's case when it comes to drawing up new guidelines for television programmes.