FURNITURE chain Ikea has apologised to a father after his glass table exploded inches from where his 12-year-old son had been sleeping.

The Swedish brand has offered Nick Hodges, of Whitmore Way, Basildon, £100 after a table he bought from its Lakeside store suddenly shattered, embedding glass shards into the wall.

His son Adam had left the room for breakfast just 20 minutes earlier on Sunday.

Mr Hodges, 41, said: “All of a sudden there was a terrific bang, like a gunshot. We went up to have a look and there was glass everywhere. The glass was still crackling, like a log on a fire.

“There was glass embedded in the door and wall.”

A computer monitor, keyboard and printer had been sitting on the £60 glass table without a problem since Mr Hodges bought it a year ago.

Ikea, which initially refused to refund the family as Mr Hodges no longer had the receipt, has admitted the tables can shatter if they have a crack or scratch and when the temperature changes suddenly.

The table had been left near a radiator for 12 months, and Mr Hodges was unaware of any damage to it.

He said he would never have bought the table if he was aware of the risks.

The printer and monitor were slightly damaged in the incident, but Mr Hodges, who works in London, is more concerned about it happening to any other families.

He said: “If it had happened at night, in the dark, and my son had woken up and got out of bed without shoes on, he would have suffered cuts.

“When I heard it, I thought my girlfriend had fallen out of the shower.”

Mr Hodges is satisfied Ikea has resolved the matter after a member of its customer care team emailed him to apologise.

A spokesman said: “The safety of our products is always the highest priority and our entire range is tested rigorously.

“Whenever we learn of a possible fault with the design, material or manufacture, we investigate immediately and thoroughly.

“We have already been in contact with Mr Hodges to apologise and are investigating the matter further.”