Jonathan Asplin will have plenty of holiday experiences to write about when he returns to school this week after surviving a potentially deadly jellyfish sting.

The eight year old Horsmonden Primary School pupil is believed to have been stung by a Man O'War jellyfish while playing in rock pools on a holiday in north Devon.

After tripping on a rock, he fell into the water where the jellyfish wrapped its tentacles around his leg, stinging him.

Had he not been wearing a short wetsuit, the injuries could have been much worse.

His mother Carolyn Asplin, from Horsmonden, said her son was in excruciating pain.

“He was hopping, he couldn’t put any weight on the foot at all and he was just screaming 'get me to the hospital, I need a doctor,’ then on the way to the hospital he just kept saying 'it’s going purple.’”

As Man O’ War jellyfish are rarely seen in the UK, doctors at the nearby hospital were unaware of how to treat the wound, initially applying vinegar, which made the pain worse.

The family returned to their holiday home but had to take Jonathan to a nearby doctor’s surgery the following day he where was prescribed a hydro cortisone cream for the pain.

Jonathan then developed an infection and was put on a course of antibiotics, and a stronger hydro cortisone cream when the red marks still hadn’t gone down.

"The markings came up as if somebody had drawn in a very random pattern over his leg," said Mrs Asplin. "It was as if somebody had taken a crayon and drawn all over it.”

Mrs Asplin is warning other parents to think ahead before making a trip to the beach.

She said: “People should be aware of the dangers that lurk on the beach and to remember the practical things like a fully charged mobile phone, a first aid kit and a bottle of vinegar in case anything should happen. It’s better to be fully prepared.”

Man O’ War jellyfish are not typical to British waters, preferring the warmer waters of Pakistan, Hawaii and Florida but there have been several sightings in recent months. The sting from the long blue tentacles can be very dangerous to humans, typically causing a burning sensation, redness and swelling of the lymphnodes but in severe cases difficulty with breathing and cardiac arrest.