A PENSIONER is recovering after a firework was aimed through the bedroom window of her tenth floor flat, in a North-East city.

Fire quickly spread to the bathroom of the flat as neighbours went to the rescue of 72-year-old Evelyn McDade.

The fire brigade said Mrs McDade could have been killed by the prank.

Her son, Kevin McDade, described the people who had aimed the firework at the block of flats, as "moronic".

Mrs McDade was getting ready for bed when the rocket smashed through the window of an adjoining room at 10.15pm on Sunday.

As she walked into the corridor of the flat she saw a spark on the carpet, which she stamped out. But when she pushed back the partly-open bedroom door she saw flames licking the furniture.

As Mr McDade, 48, returned to his mother's flat, in High Heaton, Newcastle, he said: "The bedroom where she would have been five minutes later was absolutely devastated and had she been in there she would have been killed."

Station Officer Grahame Dodd of Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade said: "Fortunately, the elderly lady got out straight away, but obviously she would be shocked at what happened.

"It was feasible it could have been fatal."