A BOY lost a thumb and sustained facial burns and a broken arm when a firework went off in his hand.

The 11-year-old, who has not been named, was treated at the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, after the accident in the Redcar area on Sunday.

It is understood the boy was playing in the street when he picked up the lit firework.

Supt Ian Richards, of Cleveland Police, said: "This little lad has some horrific injuries, all of which could have been avoided by not playing with fireworks. We and our medical colleagues sincerely hope we don't see a repetition of this tragic incident and urge parents to drive home the firework safety message.

"We need mums and dads to know where their children are and what they are getting up to, to see no one gets hurt."

Safety campaigner Pearl Hall, from South Bank, said she was ready to repeat her lobby of Parliament two years ago, when she asked MPs to ban fireworks in shops.

She said: "This has got to stop now. I am hearing of accidents every day."

News of the boy's injury came the same day that Cleveland Police used new laws to serve their first fixed-penalty fine on a 19-year-old for throwing fireworks.

Officers saw the teenager throw a firework from a car in the Tesco car park in Hartlepool and served him with £80 fixed-penalty ticket.