A 12-year-old boy was yesterday treated in hospital for second-degree burns after his Sony PlayStation Portable apparently spontaneously combusted in his trouser pocket.

Young Harold Clay was at school - Warner Middle in Farmington Hills, Michigan - when the incident took place. At 9am yesterday morning, the strides-stowed console suddenly became intensely hot, setting light to the boy's jeans, local newssite ClickOn Detroit reports.

Harold Clay's burned PSP
Images courtesy Local 4 News

The PSP managed to burn right through Clay's clothing before a teacher got it away from the lad. The youngster was taken to hospital for treatment but was able to return to school later that day.

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Emergency services attending the conflagration later said the fire appears to have begun in the PSP's battery compartment, suggesting the handheld console's power pack overheated. Police are still investigating the incident.

Clay's father later told reporters the console had not been switched on at the time.

And the name of the game loaded onto the machine? Burn Out Legends.

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