Burning Smell Coming from Laptop Screen During a Screen Flip?

[jinz0]

Hi.
I'm not too sure whether the problem here is because of my own stupidity or if its just the hardware being old and most likely already faulty.
I've got an old HP DV5 that was bought around 2007-2008. Its been used pretty intensively since then, we've been through a couple of chargers & a couple of batteries in that time.
As I no longer use it & have switched to a desktop PC, I decided to see if it has any use left in it by flipping the laptop on it's side and running MAME games.
Shortly after I did this, when I came in much closer, I noticed a burning smell coming from the side of the laptop that was being rested on.
I have anxiety in regards to burning smells so I smelt around the area of the laptop to make sure that it was coming from the side, and it was (possibly to my detriment)
Am I just being overly paranoid or is there a problem here, and if so, what is it so that I can determine what to do next?
EDIT: Attatched is a picture of what it would look like, not my photo
http/i16.photobucket.com/albums/b27/zrc/Mike%20Vidyagames/IMG_8837.jpg
Thanks~

 

[Im Spartacus]

Sure you weren't blocking vent holes on the side of you laptop causing it to get hot around the vented area's burning something on the surface of the desk/table? i.e. varnish, fumes would linger around the side that got hot.