THIS is the last thing firefighters and trading standards officers want to see on Bonfire Night - a child at risk of serious injury from fireworks.

With November 5 fast approaching, pupils at Ebbw Vale's Willowtown Junior School were shown the dangers of fireworks, especially in young or inexperienced hands.

From a safe distance, the children watched a rocket being lit in the pocket of a dummy, to see for themselves the harm that playing with fireworks could cause.

Head teacher Robert Gardner said Year 3 to Year 6 pupils were given a talk about firework safety by firefighters from Ebbw Vale station. They then watched what happened when the rocket was lit.

"It was loud, it was impressive and a little bit scary. It did everything it was supposed to do. It was very well done."

South Wales Fire Service and Blaenau Gwent council's trading standards department organised the event.

Last year in Wales there were 51 accidents involving fireworks at private parties, 24 in the street and five at large public displays.

Rockets were involved in 21 of those accidents and sparklers in 17. Of those injured, seven were detained in hospital overnight and eight transferred to another hospital, where burns could be dealt with. This year the government launched new fireworks legislation to tackle the misuse of fireworks.

There is now a fireworks curfew, which makes it illegal for anyone to set off fireworks after 11pm, except on recognised dates such as Bonfire Night, New Year, Chinese New Year and Diwali. It is also now illegal for anyone under 18 to be in possession of fireworks in a public place.