Bungling pharmacy staff blew up the front of their shop as they tried to banish the smell of a dead rat.

They had already put down a scented candle to fight the foul smell at Abbey Chemists in South Wimbledon - but when this did not work, they used an aerosol can to try and get rid of the odour.

But the spray mixed with the naked flame and caused an explosion that blew the door off the front of the shop in Abbey Parade, dislodged brickwork and caused a false ceiling to collapse.

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said a member of staff suffered slight burns to their hands and face and was taken to hospital by ambulance crews after the incident at about 12.30pm on Monday (December 12). Another member of staff was treated for shock.

The spokesman added staff had arrived at work that morning and noticed the smell of the rat from behind one of the units in the shop - but could not find the animal's remains.

He said: “Never spray air freshener or deodorant near a candle or naked flame, as we’ve seen here the results can be extremely dangerous.”

An employee at the pharmacy said the injuries were "nothing serious", and said the shop had re-opened the day after the explosion.

Two fire engines, another fire service vehicle and 15 firefighters were called to the incident. They were joined by an ambulance crew and members of the London Ambulance Service's hazardous area response team.

The incident caused serious traffic disruption as Merton High Street was closed in both directions for about an hour after the explosion.

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