Mother's plea over firework attack on son

A 14-year-old boy has been told his eyesight will never be the same again after a firework was thrown at his face.

The victim, who does not wish to be named for fear of reprisals, has been left semi-blind in his left eye after losing part of his iris in the attack.

Today, the boy's mother, 39, of Bransholme, said her son has been traumatised by the attack.

She said: "We are absolutely devastated about it. He came home with a black and purple eye, full of blood. He is still in shock about what happened to him.

"He has been told he will need glasses now and his eye will never be like it was. It's disgusting someone could do that to another human being."

The incident happened on Thursday, October 23, as the boy was walking home along Davidstow Close in Bransholme.

As he walked along the underpass, a gang of youths threw the firework in his face.

The next day police raided a property in Bransholme and seized a "large quantity" of illegal fireworks.

The address in Stroud Crescent East was swooped on by police and Trading Standards officers following information from members of the community relating to the illegal sale of fireworks.

At this stage it is not known where the firework that injured the boy came from or whether it was illegal.

However, the boy's mother said she is convinced the firework was illegal.

She said: "There are loads of people round here selling illegal fireworks from their homes.

"I am convinced the kids would have got hold of the illegal firework from one of these sellers.

"Kids with illegal fireworks are dangerous and it needs to stop."

Steve Harrison, community safety adviser at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, has been holding awareness events to talk to youngsters about the misuse of fireworks in the run-up to November 5.

He said: "The illegal fireworks are cheap foreign ones, which do not hold the British Kitemark and are sold by people without a licence.

"These fireworks are not stored properly, people do not know if they are safe or what type of explosives they have in them, which makes them dangerous.

"The only place people should buy fireworks is from licensed traders."

Residents are being urged to report incidences of nuisance, anti-social behaviour and crimes involving fireworks and bonfires.

Anyone with information is asked to call Humberside Police on 0845 6060222 quoting crime ref 1623910.