Horrifying new craze encourages children to secretly turn on kitchen hobs

A horrifying and potentially lethal new craze has gone viral on Russian social media.

The dangerous new online craze encourages children to secretly turn on the rings of their kitchen hobs, and promises that they will become 'fire fairies' if they follow the sinister instructions:

"At midnight, when everyone is asleep, get out of your bed and go around the room three times. Then say the magic words: 'Alfey kingdom, sweet little fairies, give me the power, I’m asking you.' Then go to the kitchen silently, so no one notices you or the magic of the words will disappear. Switch on the gas stove – all four burners – but do not light it. You don’t want to get burns, do you? Then go to sleep. The magic gas will come to you, you will breathe it while sleeping and in the morning, when you wake up, say 'Thank you Alfeya, I’ve become a fairy.' And you will become a real fairy of fire."

Based on a prank from the popular children's television programme Winx Club: School of Witches, Metro report that the phenomenon has now gone viral in Russia and children have been left with severe burns. One mother reported that she had woken during the night to a strong smell of gas,

"My seven-year-old daughter had just left the kitchen and gone into her room. It turned out that she had read on the internet that to become a fairy of fire you need to go to the kitchen when everyone is asleep and turn the gas oven on."

Five-year-old Sofia Ezhova, suffered severe burns all over her body after she followed the sickening instructions and switched on a gas oven. Russian police have issued a warning to parents in the Vladimir region and say that they are searching for the individuals behind it.