THE mother of a 10-year-old boy from Salford has shared a photo of her son in a hospital bed with horrific injuries caused by a firework.
The boy suffered serious burns along with his 11-year-old friend after playing with an industrial firework in the street.
The mother is desperate to ensure that other children don’t suffer similar consequences and hopes that releasing the photo will make people think twice about playing with fireworks.
Fire crews were called to Cumbrae Gardens, in Salford, at around midday after reports that a firework had exploded in a child’s face. The firework involved was an Onion Bomb, which is used in professional displays and not on general sale to the public.
Station Manager Dave Hughes said: "We were told they were holding an industrial firework, another child lit it and it blew up in their face.
"An incident like this really brings home how dangerous fireworks are and it’s heartbreaking for all those involved. We need to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
"We need parents to know where their children are and make sure they are not playing with fireworks. There are many organised events taking place in Greater Manchester this weekend, please enjoy fireworks safely by going to one of them.”
An investigation is now underway to find how an industrial firework ended up in the community and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is urging the public to help.
Area Manager Geoff Harris, Head of Protection at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are extremely interested in how this firework ended up in a street where children were able to play with it. We need to take action and prevent further fireworks from getting into the wrong hands.
They are not on general sale for a very good reason and we do not want anybody else getting injured.”
If you can help, contact Greater Manchester Police or Crimestoppers.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) is working closely with the police, local authorities and partner agencies throughout the Bonfire period as part of Treacle – a partnership which aims to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour, criminal damage, incidents and injuries.
Partner agencies involved in this also include Greater Manchester Police, 10 local authorities, Trading Standards, transport for Greater Manchester, the Chamber of Commerce, HSE and New Economy.
To stay updated with safety information and live updates about operational incidents, visit www.manchesterfire.gov.uk or follow #OpTreacle on Twitter.
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