Teen builds death ray

An American teenager has built a 'death ray' in his home.

Eric Jacqmain, 19, covered a fiberglass satellite dish with 5,800 tiny mirror tiles and with it could melt steel, boil concrete and obliterate organic matter in an instant.

When aligned correctly, Eric said the apparatus - which he calls the R5800 solar 'death ray' - could generate a heat spot with the intensity of 5,000 shining suns.

After the invention eventually "committed suicide" - by burning down the shed in which it was kept - the brainy teen began planning an even more powerful follow-up.

He said: "The goal is to use about 32,000 mirrors this time."