A WOMAN has been left with "giant orange boils" and in "unbearable" pain after accidentally brushing a toxic giant hogweed while out walking her dogs.
Tina Sabine, 26, was on a riverside stroll with her two pets when she unknowingly came into contact with the plant in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
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Tina Sabine unknowingly came into contact with the toxic giant hogweed Credit: Jam Press 6
Tina noticed the following day she had two “giant boils filled with orange liquid” on her skin Credit: Jam Press
The incident took place on July 23 but nearly a month later, Tina remains in hospital.
She claims the council were aware of the toxic plant - that has been branded the most dangerous in the UK - but had failed to remove it.
Tina first noticed she had two "giant boils filled with orange liquid" the following day when her legs gave out beneath her as she tried to get herself some water.
Soon after, she noticed her entire face, cheek and gums were extremely swollen and becoming very painful, at which point she called 111.
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Medics first believed Tina to be involved in an acid attack Credit: Jam Press 6
Tina had been walking her two pooches Mocha and Latte when she brushed the toxic plant Credit: Jam Press
The pain soon became all too much for Tina in which her friend then drove her to A&E.
Tina said: “I got up and my left leg collapsed under me.
"It took me a while to get to the next room for water as I was so thirsty, and then I saw these two giant boils filled with orange liquid so I popped them, but then more blisters were covering my hand.
“My face and my cheek were giant and my gums were right next to my teeth.
“It was so painful so after waiting 12 hours for 111 to get back to me, I had a friend get me to the hospital ASAP.”
When Tina arrived at Warwick Hospital, her burns and swelling had become so severe that medics believed she was involved in an acid attack.
She said: “Warwick asked if I had put my hands in acid or if somebody had hurt me. I said no but they kept asking."
Following a number of MRIs, doctors at Warwick and Birmingham Burns Unit concluded Tina had brushed against the very toxic hogweed plant and was suffering an allergic reaction.
She was also told she had fluid in her back which was causing her “unbearable pain” while trying to walk.
Tina was initially discharged from the hospital but when the pain worsened, she went for further MRIs at Coventry hospital where she was found to have a number of hematomas in her back.
Despite the diagnosis, she found more blisters appearing as the giant hogweed reacted to sunlight.
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Tina currently remains in hospital in Coventry on pain medication.
This comes after two schoolboys were left with scorching red blisters as a result of coming into contact with the plant.
In June, brothers Alfie and Henry were playing near the River Stour near Wordsley in the West Midlands when they came into contact with the dangerous plant - which is common along rivers.
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Tina currently remains in hospital in Coventry on pain medication Credit: Jam Press 6
The giant hogweed is considered the most dangerous plant in the UK Credit: Jam Press WHAT IS GIANT HOGWEED?
Giant hogweed is a close relative of cow parsley and it originally came from Southern Russia and Georgia.
The plant can reach more than 10ft in height - but gardeners are encouraged to get rid of it as it can cause severe skin burns.
It is widely distributed in the wild and can pose a serious risk to people who are unaware of the damage it can cause.
Chemicals in the sap can cause photodermatitis or photosensitivity, where the skin becomes very sensitive to sunlight, according to the RHS.
People who have come into contact with the plant may suffer blistering, pigmentation and long-lasting scars.
The UK also has a native hogweed, which will be familiar to gardeners and walkers - it is much smaller than a giant hogweed and causes less severe burns and reactions.
The giant hogweeds were introduced into Britain and Europe from the Caucasus Mountains in the 19th century.
But they soon escaped from cultivation and the first wild population was recorded in Cambridgeshire in 1828, soon becoming common across the country.
The giant hogweed looks similar to cow parsley, with thick bristly stems that are often purple-blotched, and white flowers.