Businesses who hire out equipment have been warned about the importance of maintaining their products after a woman suffered 65 per cent burns while using a faulty sunbed.

Melanie Wraith, aged 35, from Leek, Staffordshire, suffered an electric shock when the canopy of a machine she was using collapsed, causing her to lose consciousness.

She awoke more than two and a half hours later, after she started to vomit, and was able raise the alarm with neighbours.

* Have you suffered a sunbed nightmare? Tell us your story. Get in touch by email, messageboard or send a web letter to the editor *

Ms Wraith stopped breathing for a short time and had to be revived in the ambulance as she was taken to hospital.

She was later transferred to a specialist burns unit in Birmingham where she remained for two days.

Brian Mycock, from Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards, said Ms Wraith had hired the sunbed after seeing a newspaper advert for Supertan, a firm run by Terrence Howells from his home in Stoke-on-Trent.

Mr Mycock said it was important that people starting up businesses, like Mr Howells, got their products checked by someone qualified.

Mr Mycock said Howells (51) appeared at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to charges under the Electrical Equipment Safety Regulations Act 1994 and the Consumer Protection Act 1987.