FALKLANDS war veteran and burns survivor Simon Weston has officially launched a £1.5million research centre to advance the treatment of children’s burns at Frenchay Hospital.

Mr Weston, who suffered 49 per cent burns when his platoon of 30 Welsh Guards was bombed by Argentine Skyhawk fighters in 1982, welcomed the investment from the Healing Foundation, a charity which raises funds for clinical research into pioneering surgical and psychological techniques to help people living with disfigurement.

Speaking to the Gazette at the launch on Monday, Mr Weston said: “We spend a lot of time and money researching bigger burns but there is a real under-investment in children’s burns and where children are concerned, corners should not be cut.

“We should be doing so much more so I am thrilled the Healing Foundation, for which I am lead ambassador, has identified and recognised an area to invest a lot of money which will bring about big benefits.”

The research centre, based at the South West UK Children’s Burns Centre at Frenchay and led by the University of Bristol in partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust, the University of the West of England, the University of Bath and Cardiff University, is funding research into colour-changing bandages which detect infections.

Mr Weston, who has had over 70 operations to reconstruct his face which was left unrecognisable in the bombing, said: “This money will make a massive difference.

“One of the most traumatic things for me in hospital was having my dressings changed. It took three hours and the nurses would draw straws on who would have to do it.

“So anything to alleviate the stress and pain of that, especially in children, can only be a good thing.”

At the launch, Mr Weston met 11-month-old Ava Batten who was rushed to Frenchay on May 25 with a serious burn on her chest from a cup of tea.

Ava, from Brislington, is expected to make a full recovery but her mum Clodagh Richardson said she feared her daughter would be scarred for life.

“It was a very traumatic experience but to know she won’t be scarred is a big relief,” she said. “The staff at Frenchay were unbelievable and if this research center can help another child not be scarred then I think it is brilliant.”

Professor Alan Emond, research team leader at the University of Bristol, said: “There is a lot we still don’t know about the treatment of children’s burns and one of the biggest difficulties is detecting an infected burn.

“This money is funding the development of bandages which change colour when infected and that could make a huge difference.”

Brendan Eley, chief executive of the Healing Foundation, said the groundbreaking research would be life-changing for some children.

“We want to see results in new treatments in the next five years,” he said. “This is a lot of money to put into burns research and we expect a lot of benefits from this.”