Boy Saved By 'Die Another Day'

British local paper "Express & Star" has reported about a boy being saved thanks to his love for James Bond.

A teenager’s love of James Bond films saved his life after he caught fire following an accident with petrol.

Thirteen-year-old Mark Ellam, whose favourite Bond film is Die Another Day, dropped to the ground and rolled around like his hero to douse the flames.

His quick-thinking – after a petrol spill from his scramble bike ignited – put out the flames which had burned his back and arms.

Today, as he recovers in the burns unit at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital, Mark said it was a good job he was such a James Bond fan.

"When I caught fire the first thing I thought was to roll over because I had seen it in the James Bond films," he said.

"I love the Bond films and my favourite is Die Another Day. It has not put me off scrambling, but I might need another bike."

Mark had been working on his scrambler bike with a friend in the back garden of his home in Norfolk Road, Stourbridge, when petrol spilled from the tank and caught light.

As he fell to the floor, a pal ran to get a garden hose and sprayed cold water on him.

Mark’s mum Julie Atkins said she was frantic with worry when she got a call to say her son had been in an accident.

She had been heading to Dudley Zoo with Mark’s stepdad Tim Baynam and their young children when a neighbour rang to tell them what had happened.

"I was so worried about him, but he was worried too, he said he did not want an ambulance because he would be in trouble with his mum," said the 35-year-old.

"His back is bad and his eyes are a little sore, but I am so glad he is okay."

Mark, a pupil at Ridgewood High School in Stourbridge, was initially taken to the Diana, Princess of Wales, Children’s Hospital in Birmingham after the accident at 12.30pm on Saturday. He was later transferred to Selly Oak and was expected to remain there for the next few days.

Leading firefighter Martin Simkin, of Stourbridge fire station, warned anyone working on bikes to take care.