A 12 year-old boy has been treated for burns after his Sony PlayStation Portable burnt a hole in his pocket.

Henry Clay was in class when he realised that something was wrong and a teacher was able to get the device out of his pocket before serious damage occurred. The child was treated for second-degree burns to his leg in hospital.

"He said it wasn't a gradual heat. It really started heating up. He's always been taught burn - fire - smoke, you drop and you roll. So, he dropped and rolled," Sheila Clay, the victim's mother, told Click On Detroit.

In an ironic touch the PSP was carrying the game Burn Out, a driving simulation created by EA Games.

"It was unbelievable, because it wasn't on. It was just in his pocket," said the victim's father, Harold Clay.

Early reports suggest that the fire was caused by the lithium-iron battery overheating. There have been increasing reports of fires from this type of battery, usually affecting laptops.

Problems typically occur if small fragments of metal contaminate the battery fluid and cause sparks. Sony has had such problems before and is currently investigating this case.