November 8 2003, Daily Record, Ban Fireworks now,
I couldn't agree more with Jim Traynor that the sale of fireworks should be banned. The only way forward is organised displays and a ban on the public sale of these lethal weapons.  The half-hearted measures proposed at
present will not prevent sickening acts like the tragic puppy whose life was cruelly ended by vicious idiots.
Terrible stories like these are all too frequent. It is time decisive action was taken.
L H, by email.

I have been reading about a possible ban on fireworks from next year. Why next year when people are being injured and maimed by them now?
Put an immediate ban on sales to the general public, with people who run organised display having to provide proof. Shop owners don't care. The only thought for them is a making a profit.
R C, Livingston

I was sickened by the mindless act of cruelty inflicted by morons on the poor, defenceless puppy who had a firework tied to its tail.
I hope that those responsible for this are quickly found and brought to justice and preferably given the same treatment as the puppy.
This act should surely highlight the majority belief that there should be a total ban on selling fireworks to the public.
P A. B, Kilmarnock

November 7 2003, Ananova - Six police officers beaten by firework mob
Six police officers who tried to stop youngsters setting off fireworks are recovering after they were attacked by a 50-strong mob.
The officers were punched and kicked by their attackers who had congregated on a field near an official Bonfire Night celebration in Crewe.
A spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said two officers were originally called out to disperse around 15 youths that were setting off fireworks on the playing field.
The youths became abusive but eventually left the area. But at around 8.20pm the officers were called back, and this time a crowd of 50 had gathered.
One youth tried to assault one of the officers and when they tried to arrest him were attacked by the mob.
The police spokesman said: "They were punched and kicked, they called for back-up and another four officers attended. They were attacked too."
The police used CS gas to break up the crowd, which then ran off.
A 19-year-old local man has been arrested for being drunk and disorderly, whilst a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of threatening behaviour and obstructing a police officer.
The officers have been checked by a doctor who has declared them unfit for duty.
The police spokesman said: "Physically they just suffered bruising but this was a terrifying attack, all the officers were left deeply shocked."
An investigation has been launched to track down those involved in the attack.

November 7 2003, BBC NEWS,  Bomb 'biggest since ceasefire'
A bomb made with fireworks that destroyed a car in Liverpool was the most powerful on the UK mainland since the ceasefire in Northern Ireland, it is claimed.   Bomb disposal experts, who attended the scene of the explosion in West Derby last month, made the comments in a dossier of firework misuse produced by Merseyside Police.
The device, which was made from display fireworks and petrol, exploded above the fuel tank of the stolen car early on 18 October.   No-one was injured during the explosion in Sandfield Walk but several houses were damaged.   It is one of a range of attacks since September that are being investigated by the force's major incident team, under Operation Thornapple.
Chief Constable Norman Bettison handed the force's dossier to Home Secretary David Blunkett earlier this week as part of his campaign for a ban on people without a licence selling fireworks.
Other incidents the dossier details are two nail bomb attacks on a nightclub and bar in Liverpool city centre, which the force is linking to a feud between rival criminal gangs.
'Maximum devastation'
Fireworks have also been used to vandalise up to 31 telephone kiosks and 35 cars, some of which have been completely destroyed.
In another attack this week, a police car was damaged when it was targeted with a firework.
Earlier this week Mr Bettison said using fireworks to create explosive devices was one of three ways in which they have been misused.
They are being developed by criminals to produce low grade explosives "to cause maximum devastation", he said.

November 7 2003, Belfast Telegraph, Driven to despair by firework lunacy
THERE are strict controls on the selling and use of fireworks and anyone going outside these controls is in breach of the law and faces prosecution.
I have suffered the most horrendous few weeks of my life due to the imbecilic discharging of fireworks 24 hours a day, seven days a week and yet, to date, I have yet to hear or read of anyone being charged let alone convicted of a fireworks offence.
With the non-stop barrage and the amount of fireworks I reckon there must be around 75% of our citizenry involved in this lunacy. How come no buyer nor seller has been brought to book?
I live quite close to the largest police station in Belfast. It is directly opposite the Waterworks Park yet fireworks blast away night and day in full view of the police.
DISTRAUGHT, Belfast 15.

November 7 2003, Epping Forest Guardian, Call For Fireworks Action
CALLS are being made for tough action against fireworks and their sale following incidents in which fireworks were thrown towards a car and pushed through a letterbox.
A 17-year-old Nazeing girl was being given a driving lesson by her mother on Monday evening when a firework exploded next to the car as she drove by the Nazeingbury Parade shops shortly after 6pm.
Her mother, who does not want to be named, told the Guardian: "It didn't hit the car but exploded next to her door. It could have caused a nasty accident. We carried on driving just to get away."
She added: "I don't think fireworks should be sold in the shops." She would also like to see them restricted to organised displays.
In Roydon on Bonfire Night, a lighted firework was put through the letterbox of Monitor Picture Library at the Forge Shop causing minor damage.
Landlord Richard Greenhill said: "Anything David Blunkett is doing at the moment (to restrict sales) I would support."  He added: "I appreciate that accidents have happened, that has always been the case, but I'm concerned that now really large and potentially very dangerous fireworks are being seen and we seem to have a greater number of people, mainly presumably young people, doing crazy things with fireworks."
He said just over a year ago the post box outside Roydon post office was blown to pieces by a firework, and it was fortunate that nobody was passing at the time. "That could have killed someone," he said.
Rural police vehicle officer Chris Caten said: "I've had about 40 people come to me (last) week concerned by the length of time that the fireworks have gone on this year.  "They've been concerned about the loudness, the size and some of them have compared it to World War Two bombing and the Blitz.  "They claim their house has shook with some of the explosions. There's certainly been a genuine increase and concern about this issue. I've certainly had one of the busiest weeks I've had because of this problem."

November 7 2003, Evening Chronicle, End public sale of fireworks now
THEY are available on the open market and attract mainly 10 to 15-year-olds, who find them very exciting, especially after dark. They come in different shapes and sizes but they all require the same means of activation. A match or a lighter sets these toys in motion.
As a caution they can cause minor, serious or fatal bums and injure or maim. But they're fun!

Now, often from abroad, larger and louder ones are available, not always with a safety kite mark -but they do cause nuisance, fear and sleeplessness amongst your neighbours.
Animals are traumatised and elderly people are terrified. They are used all year around but especially from September onwards, they are called fireworks.

I wonder whether, if they were new products available on the open market, would they be given legal status where they can be bought over the counter, albeit with age restrictions which are obviously not effective?

However, many of the problems do not directly relate to teenagers, unfortunately many irresponsible, anti-social, often drunken adults are equally, if not more, guilty of misusing them with no regard for others.

Fireworks should be stiffly regulated and banned from use by the general public. Licensed pyrotechnicians only should be allowed to purchase and handle fireworks, If by doing that it costs more to organise a firework display, then tough! It's worth preventing injuries and nuisance which are faced on an increasing scale each year.
I've had enough, has anyone else? -
GB, Gateshead.

November 7 2003, Evening Times, 10 arrests on bonfire night of terror
NINE men and a boy have been arrested after police and firefighters were ambushed at a Guy Fawkes' Night bonfire.   Three police officers needed hospital treatment for head and facial injuries after the violent attack last night at Old Kirkpatrick.
It came on a night of fireworks and bonfire mayhem, with Strathclyde firefighters called out to 700 incidents.
In one terrifying incident, a high-powered firework smashed into a pensioner's home, injuring her daughter as it ricocheted round the room.
The ambush attack happened just before midnight, when fire crews were stoned by a gang of thugs as they tried to put out a burning car which had been driven onto a bonfire in Freelands Road.
They were forced to call for police, who also came under attack when they arrived.
Three officers from Clydebank were hit on the face and head. A sergeant, aged 40, and a 28-year-old constable were taken to hospital and released after treatment.
Another officer, aged 29, was transferred to the Southern General suffering a fractured jaw.
Superintendent Ewen MacLellan, deputy divisional commander at Dumbarton, said: "This was an outbreak of completely reckless and violent disorder, which has led to three officers requiring medical treatment, one of whom is still in hospital.
"Once again the emergency services have been the subject of an alleged attack while acting in accordance with their duty and in the interests of public safety."
The 10 people arrested are expected to appear at Dumbarton Sheriff Court tomorrow.
Strathclyde Police responded to 201 firework-related incidents over the 24-hour period.
At one point firefighters had to prioritise calls, sending crews to incidents where life or property were believed to be under threat.
A Glasgow OAP today told of her terror after a high-powered firework smashed into her home.
The out-of-control rocket crashed through a window as 70-year-old Grace McDougall sat at the dinner table with her daughter.
The rocket hit Janette Goldie, 46, burning through her clothing and injuring her back as it ricocheted round the room.
Mrs McDougall fell to the floor as the rocket whizzed round the kitchen before bursting into the hallway and crashing into the ceiling in the eight-house block of flats in Ardnahoe Avenue, Toryglen.
Mrs McDougall and her daughter were rushed to the Victoria Infirmary and treated for burns and shock.
The rocket severely damaged their kitchen, burning linoleum, smashing woodwork, breaking doors on the cooker and washing machine, ripping off wallpaper and shattering a chair.
It is thought the firework was set off by children from a grass area behind the flats.
Mrs McDougall, who lives with her husband Willie, 71, said the rocket was about 15in.
"It was frightening," she said. "I was sitting in the kitchen chatting to my daughter when this almighty bang scared us stiff. It sounded as if a bomb had gone off.
"This rocket was birling all round the room and it hit my daughter on her back. Her clothing was on fire.
"The rocket didn't stop and kept smashing off the walls and the furniture causing lots of damage. It hit a chair and smashed it to pieces before it soared into the hallway and crashed into the ceiling, leaving a big hole.
"I managed to avoid being hit, but I passed out with fright and fell to the floor."
In East Kilbride, a fire crew was stoned and a fire engine windscreen was broken.
In Ayr, a firefighter was injured by broken glass when a bottle exploded in a bonfire he was tackling. He was treated in hospital and went back on duty.

November 7 2003, Harrogate Today, Family's firework anguish
A HARROGATE woman whose dog died when he was panicked by fireworks has spoken of her anguish.
Last Saturday night, Rose Baker let her 11-year-old Border Collie, Bold, into the garden of her Skipton Road house while getting ready to take him for a walk.
Without warning, a firework went off nearby and was quickly followed by several more.
After rushing into the garden, Mrs Baker found that Bold had somehow managed to catch his choke-chain on a nail after trying to jump over the back fence. Tragically, in his attempts to escape the noise of the fireworks, he had strangled himself.
Still in shock, Mrs Baker is now having to console her distraught family.
"After he had his dinner we were going to take Bold and our other dog for a walk, as he had been getting a bit excited," she said.
"We put him in the back garden while we were putting our coats on, and then we heard this really loud firework go off.
"We rushed outside and couldn't see him at first, but after another firework went off, I saw what had happened.
"I told the kids to go indoors, and then rang a friend to come and help with him.
"The kids were crying, and my 16-year-old daughter has cried her eyes out since - it was just terrible."
She is urging people to remember the effects fireworks have on animals during the time around Bonfire Night.
Mrs Baker stressed she would never have let a highly-strung dog outside had she known fireworks were going to be let off. No fireworks had gone off in the area that day and the accident was four days before Guy Fawkes Night.
Even after Bold died, the fireworks continued.
"At one point we couldn't hear the television and had to turn the volume up to block the noise out.
"If it had been Bonfire Night, of course, I would have kept him inside, but I had no idea there were going to be fireworks.
"Although he was getting on a bit, he was ever such a happy dog.
"It's just a tragic accident, but it's happened - now we have to get over it.
"I know that worse things happen but people need to know about accidents like this, so maybe they'll think twice before setting off fireworks."
RSPCA officer Peter Bolton advised anyone who owns a cat or dog to follow simple safety guidelines during the firework season.
"It is difficult as everybody expects fireworks on Bonfire Night and most people take the necessary precautions, but these days fireworks seem to go on the week before and week after Bonfire Night without any warning," he said.
"If you know fireworks are going to take place nearby at a particular time, don't let your pets out, keep them indoors and don't leave them isolated on their own.
"This applies to both cats and dogs.
"We'd also encourage members of the public to attend official fireworks displays rather than fireworks parties in back gardens, and keep fireworks for Bonfire Night."

November 7 2003, ic CheshireOnline, Bulldozers move in after arson at hall
COMEDIAN Ken Dodd's dream of turning a 19th-century home into a comedy museum for Liverpool lay in ruins last night.  It follows a Bonfire Night blaze at Thingwall Hall in Knotty Ash, putting it beyond restoration.  Just before 11am yesterday, a bulldozer smashed through the wall in Thomas Lane into the grounds of the Victorian manor house.  Workers said they had to demolish the red brick wall because the machine was too big to fit through the gate.
Campaigner Yvonne Irving watched on in disbelief as the bulldozer started to destroy the 19th century manor house.  She said: "This is a devastating day for all of us. There was so much history in that house that has just been destroyed. Ken called me at about 1.30am this morning and he was just devastated.  "He was so upset. This was always our worst fear and now it has finally happened. It is absolutely heartbreaking."
The comedian, who watched the demolition from his window, said: "I am sad and disgusted at what I have witnessed today.  "I warned that this would happen but nobody would listen. It is a disgrace."
The "Squire of Knotty Ash" has been battling to convert the manor house into a comedy museum.  Thingwall Hall has not been used for a number of years. It is owned by the Knotty Ash Special School Trust and the city council is its trustee.
The blaze at the house was one of 600 call-outs for Merseyside Fire Brigade on Bonfire Night before midnight. Firefighters were called to the house just after 8pm and battled the huge blaze for more than six hours.
Fire crews were also called out to an explosion after yobs planted fireworks under a black Rover, which exploded in September Road, Tuebrook, at 11pm.  Bomb disposal teams and Merseyside Police were called to the explosion.
Meanwhile, a family of three fled a blaze after their house was torched in a suspected arson attack. The fire broke out in the first floor flat in Croxteth Hall Lane, Croxteth at 8pm.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries after thugs threw bricks as crews attempted to put out a blaze in Gray Grove at 8pm. Around six flats were damaged. More than 25 cars were destroyed by fire after an arson attack at the Perry and Sherlock workshop in Park Road North, Birkenhead.  Petrol and gas cylinders fuelled the blaze.
And around 20 cars were damaged after a suspected arson attack in Regent Road, Widnes, shortly before 10pm.
Two large workshops on the industrial estate were also damaged.
A large firework blasted through a schoolgirl's bedroom window and set her bed alight.
The 10-year-old was not at home when a rocket smashed through the window on Edith Street, Bootle at 11pm. It exploded as it entered the room and then hit the headboard of the girl's bed.

November 7 2003, North West Evening Mail, FIRE CREWS CALLED 70 TIMES FOR BONFIRE NIGHT INCIDENTS
RECKLESS youths put the lives of two families at risk after targeting Furness homes with fireworks.  One Barrow family were left distraught after a firework was hurled into their backyard setting fire to children's play equipment.
In Dalton another family had to act quickly to prevent fire taking hold after a rocket was shoved through their letterbox.
Barrow fire crews say they had a particularly busy night attending 13 calls-outs of the 70 across the county. The majority were started maliciously.

November 7 2003, Recorder Series, Home wreck horror
A LITTLE girl cheated death this week when a massive firework smashed through a double glazed window and exploded in the room she was in just minutes before. The terrifying incident happened just after 8pm on Guy Fawkes' Night on Wednesday at a house in Riversdale Road, Collier Row.   Joanne Sisfleet, 33, and her husband John, 32, were sitting downstairs when the mammoth firework ripped into their upstairs bathroom devastating everything near it.  Their daughter Chole, six, a pupil at Clockhouse Infants School, had been in the bathroom just minutes before. Luckily she escaped injury after leaving the bathroom to join her sister, Gemma, four, in another upstairs room.
Joanne said: "We heard this almighty bang and at first thought the kids had toppled over the cupboard.  But then the banging continued and the kitchen ceiling started to fall down. We raced upstairs and I could hear my kids screaming 'we don't want to die mummy.'  "The firework had gone right through the closed double glazed window, blowing the toilets and bath to bits. "The door was in pieces in the passage way and the walls in the kids' bedroom was splitting in two. "It was horrendous. It was like someone had thrown a bomb in to our house.  "There was water everywhere because the pipes were ruptured in the incident. We just grabbed the kids and got out. I was so dazed by the whole thing.  "It's done thousands of pounds damage.  "I feel so angry this has happened. One of my kids was in the bathroom just moments before. She could have been killed.  "Firefighters found the burnt out firework and it seems like there were two of them tied together.
'Mini-missiles'
"Someone obviously thought they would have a laugh by setting off these two fireworks together.  "It really angers me that these people have no care for other people's safety. "Shops have got to stop selling these big display fireworks.  "They are just too dangerous to use. Some of the fireworks you get now are like mini-missiles. Someone could have died here on Wednesday."
A spokesman for Romford Fire Station said: "It's one of the worst firework incidents we have seen.  "We stayed there for two hours making sure the building was safe and helping the family clear up.  "That firework would have killed those two children without a shadow of a doubt if they had been in the bathroom when it exploded.  "They were very, very, lucky. We want to warn people to use fireworks safely and always to follow the firework code."

November 7 2003, Recorder Series, Postbox 'ripped apart by firework'
AN EXPLOSION that ripped apart a pillar box is being blamed on a "very large" firework.
Huge pieces of the heavy, cast-iron box tore through nearby railings and scattered across Herent Drive, Clayhall, where the blast went off at 10.20pm on Monday night, writes CHRIS PANTELI.
Police officers who cordoned off the area were joined by firefighters in clearing the road of shrapnel and the shredded remains of uncollected mail. A spokesman later confirmed the incident is being treated as criminal damage.
Hainault sub officer Martin Gunn, who attended the scene, told the Recorder the explosion could have proved lethal.
"I'm assuming someone put a firework in the letter box but it must have been some firework," he said. "The casing on those boxes is more than three quarters of an inch thick.
"It goes to show that a firework in an enclosed space like that can easily become a lethal bomb. If someone had been walking past they could have had their head taken off."
Residents in the quiet road said the explosion was deafening - and many remain unconvinced it was a firework.
Violet Cole said: "It was quite a horrendous bang. I was in the kitchen when it happened and the whole place seemed to shake. I can't see how it could've been a firework."
A postman based at Ilford sorting office said: "The mail inside was blown to smithereens, there's nothing left. I can't see how a firework caused this and if it wasn't a firework it must have been something worse.
"If that's the case then it was a direct hit at Royal Mail and if they're targeting pillar boxes what are they going to target next? I'm watching my back."

November 7 2003, Rochdale Observer, Windows saved couple in attack
DOUBLE glazing saved a Spotland couple's home in a firework attack. Mrs Elsie Chadwick, aged 57, was sitting in her front room in Clarke's Lane when she heard a loud bang.  She said: "The next thing I knew there was something like a ball inside our window, followed by a big flash. The firework had smashed the outside panes and our lawn was covered in glass.  I'm frightened to death now every time I hear a noise and I'm afraid to go outside."
Luckily, the interior pane of the window prevented the firework from entering the house.
"The double glazing was meant to keep us warm, not keep out ammunition," said her husband, Peter, after Sunday night's attack. "We're not talking about your normal domestic fireworks. We think these are ones used in displays.  "I have had three heart attacks - if I was downstairs at the time I could have had another one."
As well as being disturbed by loud bangs almost every day, the couple have been alarmed by the recent spate of arson attacks on nearby Spotland Primary School.
The building has been targeted a number of times in the past months. Four attacks were in a week. Headteacher Carol McLachlan said: "Thankfully, things have quietened down over the half-term break. But we have applied for planning permission for a security fence."
The council's community safety team also insist they are doing all they can to combat vandalism.
Community safety officer, Lee Durrant, urged the public to be vigilant and report incidents to the police.
"It is difficult to catch these people unless we have the public's help," he said.

November 7 2003, Sheffield Today, 'Bomb' blast wrecks pub
THUGS put lives at risk when they hurled a makeshift bomb into a Sheffield pub causing a massive blast as shocked drinkers sat nearby. The blast, caused by an explosive made from a firework, was so powerful it brought the ceiling crashing down, shattered glass partitions and wrecked light fittings at The Parkway Tavern, Parkhill.
Landlord Michael Beckett thought the pub had been hit by a bomb and said it was lucky no-one was killed or seriously hurt.
He said today: "It frightened me to death.  "It went off in the foyer and blew the ceiling down, damaged the walls and blew mirrors off the wall inside the pub.  "Normally on Thursday nights a couple of women come in with their grandchildren and sit right where the mirrors landed.  "Fortunately they did not come in last night. If they had done there could easily have been fatalities.  "An elderly woman had also been sat at that end of the pub a few minutes before but my wife had suggested she move up and have a chat with some other people.  "It is lucky, because she could have been hit by some of the debris otherwise. I put on a firework display the night before and people really enjoyed it, then someone has to come and do this. "I cannot believe the amount of damage it caused - and the firefighters couldn't either."
In another incident a car was destroyed by a rocket which punched a football-sized hole through the vehicle's floor. As the firework exploded all the windows were blown out of the Vauxhall Astra, showering homes nearby in Everingham Close, Longley, with shards of glass. Firefighters said the vehicle was probably too badly damaged to be repaired.
The attacks came as a South Yorkshire MP blasted yobs using powerful fireworks in anti-social behaviour as bordering on "terrorists".  Barnsley Central MP Eric Illsley joined other Labour backbenchers at Commons question time in calling for a tightening of legislation on buying and selling fireworks.  Mr Illsley said: "There are situations where anti-social behaviour with fireworks begins to border on acts of terrorism."
Police have revealed they have made more than 130 arrests in a crackdown on yob behaviour in South Yorkshire.
As part of Operation Mischief officers arrested 22 people on Bonfire night in connection with crimes including assaults, criminal damage, public nuisance offences and being drunk and disorderly.
At least 27 people face court appearances for illegally selling fireworks.

November 7 2003, The Herald, 10 in court after police are hurt at bonfire incident
TEN people are due to appear in court today after three police officers were injured when they went to help a fire crew under attack from a gang of youths on Guy Fawkes night.
It was one of a number of attacks on Scotland's emergency services during fireworks-related incidents. It was also revealed yesterday that Scottish fire brigades dealt with more than 2200 calls on Wednesday night.
Nine men and a juvenile were detained after the police officers were injured in a late-night incident in Dunbartonshire. The incident happened as fire crews dealing with a fire in Freelands Road, Old
Kilpatrick, came under attack by youths reported to be throwing stones.
The officers, who went to their aid, suffered several facial and head injuries and required treatment at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow. A 40-year-old sergeant and a 28-year-old constable were released after treatment, but the third officer, a 29-year-old constable, was transferred to the Southern General Hospital for treatment to a fractured jaw.
Strathclyde police and the brigade responded to more than 800 firework-related incidents. Firefighters were targeted by stone-throwing youths on several occasions, with one engine's windscreen shattered in Calderwood, East Kilbride.
Lothian and Borders fire brigade dealt with 656 calls in a 24-hour period, more than 50 of which were passed on by the overstretched Strathclyde force.
Incidents involving stones, slates, wood, and bricks were reported in Edinburgh, Livingston, Musselburgh, Penicuik and Prestonpans.
Two firefighters were struck by missiles but escaped unhurt. Two appliances were damaged during the evening.
Northern Constabulary is hunting those responsible for posting a lit powerful, maritime flare through the letterbox of one of their officers early
yesterday. Stuart Sutherland, 41, was injured as he removed the handheld flare from his house in Golspie, Sutherland.
Meanwhile, a schoolboy was seriously burned after a bonfire stunt went wrong. John Slater, 13, from Gardner Street, Aberdeen, is recovering in hospital after falling into a bonfire from a shopping trolley

November 7 2003, Waltham Forest Guardian, Fireworks Safety
MEG Hillier is welcoming the London Fire Brigade's Be Safe with Fireworks campaign.
The London Assembly Member for Waltham Forest will be visiting Aveling Park Secondary School, Aveling Park Road, Walthamstow, tomorrow, to discuss its partnership with the Prison Me No Way trust.
This is a project to dissuade young people from wandering down the road of crime with a series of visits from police and firefighters who will discuss firework safety, anti-social behaviour, drugs and malicious calls.
Mrs Hillier said: "I hope that everyone enjoys their bonfire and firework celebrations but that they do so safely.
"Every year injuries occur from playing with fireworks 94 people were hurt in London last year. So I am pleased that the Be Safe with Fireworks campaign highlights these dangers.
"I hope people will take this on board and act sensibly around fireworks."

November 6 2003, BBC NEWS, Firework couple's 'lucky escape'
A couple whose home was seriously damaged when a firework burst through the front door on Bonfire Night said they were lucky to escape uninjured.  Neither Christine nor Peter Way were in the front room of their Tonypandy, Rhondda, home when a firework hit their porch, smashed through a pane of glass, and exploded.
The force of the blast caused the ceiling in the porch to collapse, and two windows and a door were smashed and ripped from their hinges.
Police are still investigating whether or not the act , which happened at 2145 BST at Station Road, Trealaw on Wednesday night, was deliberate.
The attack comes as a 20-year-old man is appearing in court in connection with a suspected firework attack on a Port Talbot flat.
Mrs Way was out at the time of the attack, but said if she had been sitting in her usual seat, she could have died.
Her husband, who was in the house, had luckily got out of his armchair and was in the kitchen when the firework hit.  "If I had been sitting there, I could have been killed easy enough. I could have been in hospital," he said.
Mrs Way added: "Peter went out to the kitchen and when he came back the whole place was full of smoke and explosions.  "We were bombarded with [fireworks] - please ban them before somebody is killed."
The incident is the third serious firework on a home in Wales in the run-up to Bonfire Night.
A 20-year-old man is appearing in court charged with arson with intent to endanger life in connection with a fire at a pensioner's flat in Port Talbot, south Wales.   It is believed that the blaze, which was discovered on Tuesday, was started by a firework.  Police said it went through a window into the elderly woman's flat at Cardigan House on Moorland Road in the Sandfields estate.
The man charged is appearing before Port Talbot magistrates on Thursday.
The pensioner and three others were treated at Neath Port Talbot Hospital for smoke inhalation.
The heat from the flames was so intense that the window frames of the flat melted. Neighbouring flats were also badly damaged by smoke.
In west Wales, a grandmother was set on fire when the chair she was sitting in was hit by a firework launched through her front window.
Marjorie Davies' hair caught fire and she suffered cuts and bruises and perforated eardrums after the attack on her home in Bryn Golau, Llanelli, last week.

November 6 2003, BBC Scotland, 2200 callouts
Fire Brigades across Scotland attended more than 2000 incidents during Bonfire Night.
Strathclyde Fire Brigade crews came under attack during several incidents and three people were taking to hospital after a firework exploded in there home, The man and two women were inside their house in Poryglen when a firework exploded in their kitchen.
And crews trying attend five incidents had to be turned back when they were attacked by youths throwing stones.

November 6 2003, BBC Wales, Man due in court over flat fire.
Police have charged twenty year old man in connection with a fire at a pensioners flat in Port Talbot on Tuesday.
It is thought the blaze was started by a firework, which went through a window into the flat on Moorland Road, in the Sandfield Estate.

November 6 2003, Belfast Telegraph, Ulster-led clamp on fireworks spreading
ENGLAND and Wales are set to follow an Ulster lead by clamping down on the abuse of fireworks. Consultations launched only hours before Bonfire Night follow disputed claims by the NIO that new rules already in place in the province have had "a dramatic effect on the noise, nuisance and distress cause by those using fireworks irresponsibly, including attacks on the police".
The English and Welsh measures, some of which would be in place by Christmas, would bring in a national curfew, banning youngsters under 18 from possessing fireworks in public places.
Local authority powers to cancel licences to sell fireworks and a noise level of 120 decibels are among other measures now out to public consultation.
The NIO believes it is winning the war against anti-social use of fireworks in Ulster, with less than one of every 500 households obtaining a licence to let off fireworks over Halloween.
But this is fiercely disputed by the legitimate trade, which claims the legislation is "a disaster all round", with £6m worth of illegal fireworks being sold over Halloween.
The NIO has issued 1,330 firework licences so far this calendar year, covering categories 2, 3 and 4.
For the Halloween period, it issued 1,181 category 2 licences, as well as 51 for the bigger display-use categories 3 and 4.   In all of 2002, NIO issued 1,000 licences for all categories.
According to official figures, there were only 1,181 residents legally entitled to let off category 2 fire works across Ulster out of an estimated 610,000 households.  "So who was letting off all the others?" wondered Paul Kelly, owner of embattled fireworks supplier Galaxy Fireworks.   "Everyone has a realisation that the licensing didn't work.  "Clearly, thousands of fireworks were going off around the streets."
Mr Kelly estimated the illegal trade hauled in more than £6m over Halloween, but for the legitimate traders it was a non-event.  He said the £30 NIO licence had to go, and legal retailers should be able to market their products direct to the public.  "We have better quality fireworks, better prices and better retail outlets."
The PSNI, directed by the NIO to clamp down on illegal firework use, was unable to supply figures of any arrests or firework seizures over the weekend, saying illegal use of fireworks was a "non-recordable offence" - meaning it doesn't have to be reported to anyone.

November 6 2003, Edinburgh Evening News -Two injured at fireworks show in Edinburgh
FIREWORKS debris landed in the crowd during a huge display at Meadowbank Stadium last night leaving two people needing medical treatment.  Two females in their 20s were slightly injured and received attention from paramedics at the scene, but were not taken to hospital.   
The accident took place during the city's largest organised fireworks display which attracted more than 5500.
And firefighters were called to deal with three separate blazes on the city's historic Arthur's Seat.
It is believed the fires may have started out as bonfires, but spread due to the windy and dry conditions.
A spokesman for First Leisure, which organised the Meadowbank display, said: "An incident occurred when debris from a firework appears to have bounced into a small section of the terracing at Meadowbank.
"Two casualties were treated quickly by first aid staff and were able to return home after the event.
"Edinburgh Leisure & City of Edinburgh Council's Public Safety Department were satisfied that all reasonable precautions had been undertaken during the event. A reputable pyrotechnics company, which has been delivering displays for a number of years throughout the United Kingdom, was used.
"All appropriate health and safety guidelines were followed to ensure the safety of the crowd at all times," he added.
Firefighters in the city faced their busiest night of the year, responding to more than 600 calls, but no serious incidents or injuries were reported.
A spokeswoman for the fire brigade said 20 emergency vehicles were out for most of the evening with little respite. "They have hardly had a spare moment," she added. "Some have never made it back to the station before we were redirecting them again."
At Meadowbank Stadium onlookers were treated to a spectacular firework display accompanied by music.
Forth One radio presenter Big Al, stilt-walkers and tunes from the Penicuik and District Pipe Band also kept the crowds entertained.
In Fife, the fire brigade received more than 200 calls, the majority for bonfire-related incidents.
Firefighters dealt with more than 2200 calls across Scotland. No major incidents or serious injuries were reported.
In the most serious incident, three people were taken to hospital after a rocket was fired through a kitchen window in Glasgow.
A 70-year-old woman and a 45-year-old woman were among those taken to the city's Victoria Infirmary.
The incident happened in Ardnahoe Avenue, Rutherglen, near Glasgow, at about 5pm.
Both women were believed to have been treated for smoke inhalation, lacerations and shock.
The Fire Brigades Union was holding talks with its executive members today after a meeting with management failed to reach an agreement over a pay deal intended to end the dispute.
Fire crews began taking wildcat action on Tuesday, refusing to do more than answer 999 calls.
The FBU in Scotland estimated 20 per cent of firefighters were taking part in the work to rule protest.
Speaking from London where the meeting was held, John McDonald, FBU executive member for Scotland, said it was likely there could be further wildcat action over the next few days.

November 6 2003, Enfield & Haringey, Towncentre Firework Yobs Target Young Family
A BABY narrowly avoided serious injury after a gang of youths threw a firework into the boot of a car.
The potentially fatal incident happened in the busy centre of Enfield Town at 4.45pm on Tuesday as the Collins family were packing their car in the Market Place after a day of Christmas shopping.
Clare Collins, a 27-year-old schoolteacher, said: "My mum got into the car with my little girl as it was cold and we prepared to load the buggy into the boot. "As the boot was opened, someone threw a firework and it landed squarely in the back, exploding in our faces before we had a chance to do much more than register our surprise."
Amazingly, no-one was injured, although Clare's mother has a bruise on her back from the impact of the explosion. There is also a hole in the back of the seat and the bodywork of the car was dented.
Two-year-old daughter Erin was terrified by the explosion and is now scared whenever she hears a firework.
Clare added: "If anything had happened to my daughter I don't know what I would have done.  "It has been a really horrible week and I feel like we didn't have any half-term holiday at all."
Police were at the scene almost straight away but no arrests were made due to a lack of evidence.
Enfield North MP Joan Ryan has visited the family and this week called for harsher punishments for anyone involved in firework abuse and an eventual ban on the retail sale of fireworks. She also criticised the police approach to this incident, saying the two gangs caught in the immediate area should have been detained rather than released. Ms Ryan has been a stalwart campaigner for tighter regulations over the sale and use of fireworks since the death of Enfield teenager Martin Lamparter two years ago. She said: "These youths are terrorising people - if we are not careful, this will turn out to be the worst year so far. "We have got to take a very, strong line on it and these youths have got to know that we mean business. This reckless, aggressive and intimidatory behaviour is unacceptable and puts people's lives at risk."
Cllr Terry Neville, Enfield Council's Cabinet member for the environment, has also spoken out over fireworks nuisance this week after a busy weekend for the council's patrols.
A total of 76 incidents were reported to the council's contact centre - one of the most serious being when a group of youths aimed fireworks at people and passing traffic.
Cllr Neville said: "Although we are at an early stage, it seems our proactive approach is beginning to show dividends. Hopefully, these people who cause a lot of distress to their neighbours and members of the public will get the message that we are not going to stand for this anti-social behaviour any longer."
Residents are urged to call the Enfield Council contact centre with reports of any fireworks-related trouble, on 8379 1000. Offenders, if caught, could face fines of up to £5,000.
If you have any information on the incident in the Market Place, call police on 8345 4441 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

November 6 2003, Evening Chronicle, Fire Crews tackle 900 emergencies
HECTIC firefighters across the region answered almost 900 call-outs during one of the busiest Bonfire Nights for years.
Tyne and Wear were called out to more than 600 incidents, while stations at Durham tackled just under 200. Crews in Northumberland were called out 87 times.
Among the major incidents the Tyne and Wear brigade tackled was a massive fire at a North Tyneside timber yard and a warehouse blaze in Newcastle's Chinatown.
There were also numerous call outs to Guy Fawkes night bonfires.
The service spent five hours battling 50ft flames at a timber yard after a suspected arson attacks
Eight fire engines from Wallsend, Tynemouth and Foss-way were called to the blaze at Palette Management Services in Howdon Lane, Howdon at 8.45pm yesterday.
The heat of the fire was so intense it scorched the outside of nearby buildings and was in danger of spreading to Howdon Metro station.  Wallsend station officer Dave Robson said. "When we arrived the building was well alight It was pretty spectacular. The flames were leaping through the ceiling, probably about 50ft. The heat generated by the fire was damaging buildings so our first worry was controlling the blaze so it didn't spread."
Howdon Metro station is only 30 or 40 yards away and if the flames had reached buildings on the line we would have had to shut the system down."
One of the two buildings at the timber yard was almost completely destroyed but fireman used cutting equipment to gain access to the second building and stop it spreading further.
Scenes of crime officers and fire investigation officers were today examining the site to determine the cause of the blaze.
Eleven fire engines and 42 firefighters were called to Rutherford House, Rutherford Street, in Newcastle's Chinatown at 6am today after a passer-by reported that a warehouse was alight.
Divisional officer Mick Nielsen said: it was a very severe fire and it looks as though it started on the second floor. That floor is burnt right through so it is quite hazardous for us to go in there.
"The big danger was it spreading to other buildings but I have nothing but praise for the lads, they did an excellent job.
"They have had a long night. I think they will be pretty exhausted when they finish their shift."
The owner of the building and of Wing Hong Supermarkets, Ken Cheng, 33, of Stowell Street, Newcastle, said: "I have no idea how it started but it was Bonfire Night so I reckon that kids have been trying to put a firework up there. Now it will have to be boarded up."
Crews at Swalwell Fire Station in Gateshead were among those stretched to the limit last night.
Station Officer Graeme Campbell said: "We were extremely busy, going to Washington, Row-lands Gill, Gateshead, South Shields, Marsden, all over. "There were so many fires engines were being called in from all different areas and it got really complicated. "Most the calls were because of kids starting fires in silly places."
In Northumberland mail was destroyed when a yob threw a firework into Allendale Post Office shortly before 6pm last night.
A Northumbria police spokesman said: "A firework exploded after it was put in to the internal post box inside the shop. Nobody was hurt but mail was destroyed."
Three Northumberland fire crews also dealt with a large blaze at the old Ashington Hospital site last night.

November 6 2003, Evening Chronicle, Vent Your Spleen
I THINK fireworks can seriously damage mental health.  On Saturday evening the residents of Heddon-on-the-Wall were subjected to more than two hours of absolute misery by the residents of one property. These were sending up powerful bangers into the sky and it went on and on. These were not kids, they were "responsible" adults who decided the evening of November 1 would be a good time to inflict stomach-churning explosions upon all and sundry. I can only hope the two little ponies normally in the field next to them had been removed, If not, like the animals of many villagers, they would have been terrified.
J F Heddon.

November 6 2003, ic Berkshire - Family is forced to flee after rocket blast
A READING family whose home was ripped apart by a rogue firework say they feel lucky to be alive.
The rocket blasted into Benjamin Ryan's home in Donnington Gardens and exploded in the bedroom just moments after wife Robertha had left the room.
The blast shattered a window and left extensive damage to the ceiling and the roof as it careered out of control through the house.
Daughter Jasmin Ryan, 35, was in her bedroom when she heard a massive bang at 9.10pm.
She said: "My mother was in her bedroom and my father was downstairs when I heard this loud explosion.
"We could smell burning and I thought the house was on fire. When I couldn't turn the lights on in the spare room I realised we had to evacuate the house.
"The firework must have come through either the window or the roof, nobody knows.
"I don't think anybody did it deliberately but I think people who are going out and buying fireworks should be more aware of how dangerous they are. "I would like to see fireworks banned now unless they are professional displays.
"We have to think about people's safety here and something has to be done to stop this happening to somebody else."
Sub officer Steve Andrews of Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "This could have been tragic and it just goes to prove how dangerous fireworks are - they should only be allowed at big displays."
* New laws mean by Christmas it will be illegal for anybody under 18 to possess fireworks.
Possession of the most powerful fireworks will be outlawed to all members of the public and anybody caught letting off fireworks in the street faces an £80 fine.

November 6 2003, ic Birmingham - Pigeon loft horror
A pigeon fancier's flock of 40 birds was wiped out when a firework turned his Black Country loft into an inferno.
A stray firework is thought to have started last night's blaze in Hardy Road, Bloxwich, but police and fire-fighters have not ruled out a deliberate attack.
Insp Gary Titley of Bloxwich police said: "We are treating the matter as suspicious." Brian Cullum and his 54-year-old wife Elizabeth were in bed when the firework exploded in their back garden loft at around 11pm and they looked out seconds later to see it ablaze.
There was no chance to rescue the helpless birds inside and, although fire-fighters arrived on the scene within minutes, the wooden loft was soon gutted.
Mr Cullum, who had owned the 'tumbler' pigeons for almost a year, said the fire had put paid to his hobby and he would not now replace the loft or buy replacement birds.
The 57-year-old said: "My wife had only just come to bed when we heard a terrific bang outside.
"We looked out of the bedroom window to see one corner of the loft on fire and the whole thing was soon ablaze.
"There was nothing anyone could have done for the birds. I'm not going to keep pigeons any more. I'll just dig my garden over instead."
Mr Cullum said he did not want to see an out-right ban on the sale of fireworks but he thought their sale should be restricted.
He said: "I think fireworks have got to be controlled. Some they let off nowadays shake your windows. Kids could blow a house up with them." Sub-Officer Paul Jones of Bloxwich fire station said: "There was a gap in the loft and someone could have chucked a firework in there deliberately or a stray rocket could have just
gone in by chance."

November 6 2003, ic Coventry - Man, 21, hurt by exploding inhaler
A 21-year-old man needed treatment for burns when an inhaler exploded on a bonfire in his parents' back garden. He and his father had tidied out their shed and had piled up the rubbish and unwanted items ready for a bonfire.
The fire had been burning for 10 minutes when the canister exploded. It sent flying debris which hit the victim's face.
The incident happened in Stratford Street, Stoke, Coventry.
In a separate incident, a man was woken when a massive firework flew through his bedroom window last night.
The incident happened in Milverton Road, Wood End, at about 8pm.
Radford Road station officer Kevin Rogers said sparks from the firework caused the bedroom to catch fire and the whole room was filled with smoke.
He added: "The stick that was left from the firework was more than a metre long, so it's not hard to imagine the size of the actual firework.
"It is extremely fortunate it didn't hit a child sleeping in a cot in that room. In 22 years' experience, I have never seen anything like it." Crews from Canley were called to Caradoc Close in Henley Green last night after a man drove a car on to a bonfire, in front of onlookers.
And a standby crew from Leamington was called out on behalf of Binley Fire Station to a similar incident in Yew Close, Stoke Aldermoor, when a man dumped a car on a bonfire.

November 6 2003, ic Huddersfield - Busy night for fire crews
FIREFIGHTERS had a hectic Bonfire Night with almost treble the usual number of 999 calls-outs.
West Yorkshire Fire Service's headquarters at Birkenshaw dealt with 412 calls from 6pm to midnight and then a further 100 during the night. Many were to bonfires.
A fire service spokesman said: "It has been a very busy night indeed."
Firefighters had a strange job near Hipperholme - they were the only people watching a massive bonfire.
They monitored the fire next to Brighouse and Denholme Gate Road at Coley, above Brighouse, for a couple of hours before dousing the flames.
Leading Fireman Alan Jordan, of Brighouse fire station, said: "It was a massive bonfire with whole trees thrown on it and was burning fiercely - yet there was no-one there except us."
In Huddersfield firefighters were called to bonfires in Thornton Lodge, Deighton and Primrose Hill.
A rocket shoved through a letterbox in Ruskin Grove, Sheepridge at 8pm damaged the door.
Youths threw a lit firework into Deighton Fisheries on Deighton Road at 7.30pm, shocking staff and leaving scorch marks.

November 6 2003, ic Liverpool - Boy of five in bonfire horror
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy suffered horrific burns after falling into a smouldering bonfire today.
Michael Evans has burns to 30% of his body after tumbling onto the red hot embers shortly before 9am.
The fire had been lit last night and had not cooled by the time Michael rolled into the ashes.
He was taken to Alder Hey hospital by paramedics following the incident near his home in Smeaton Street, Walton.
Michael's dad Dean Murphy, 32, said: "I am absolutely devastated. We were getting the other kids ready for school and Michael must have slipped out. He came running into the house screaming. He was in so much pain. His top was on fire.
"We took him upstairs and put him in the bath - we were panicking but wrapped him in a towel until the ambulance came. He is a great kid - we just want him to get better."
His mum, Nicola Evans, 36, is at the bedside of her son, a pupil at St Francis De Salles school in nearby Hale Road.
A spokesman for Mersey regional ambulance service said: "He fell into a bonfire and must have rolled into it because he received burns all over his body.
"Alder Hey hospital was warned, which means he must have been in quite a bad condition."
Residents had been enjoying a bonfire party in a communal square in Smeaton Street until late last night. The fire was said to have been kept under control yesterday evening but was never doused with water when the residents went home to bed.
A spokesman for Merseyside fire service said: "Even if the bonfire looks as if it is out, people should beware.
"The heat at its centre is very intense and often full of metal and burning embers from whatever has been put into the fire."
"We would ask people to be extra vigilant and keep children away from bonfires even days after the event."

November 6 2003, ic Teesside - Crews attacked as call-outs double
Firefighters were "stretched to the limit" answering a call every two minutes in one of the brigade's busiest Bonfire Nights.
A Cleveland Fire Brigade chief today revealed there were 210 emergency calls between 5pm and midnight - double last year's figure. At one stage every fire appliance on Teesside was out. Firefighters and police were attacked by youths throwing fireworks and gangs hurled bricks at council workers as they tried to help the fire brigade.
And the lives of staff and customers were put at risk by youths who hurled a lit rocket into a Teesside store. The firefighters' workload was worsened by arsonists who started a string of deliberate blazes in empty houses.
Divisional Officer Bob Scott, in overall charge of the operation, said: "For the best part of three hours we were stretched to the limit. "The biggest problem wasn't bonfires - when you get there it's either dangerous or it isn't and you can either put it out or move on. "A lot of the fires we have been going to have been under control. "It may be well-meaning neighbours but most we have gone to have had people looking after them. "If there are children enjoying it and parents looking after them, then we let them enjoy their night." He stressed the increase of calls over last year may be down to "over-zealous reporting" by members of the public. "A lot of the bonfires were quite safe and supervised. We will have to have a look at this for next year. It may be a matter of education or we may have to look at how we respond - we have a year to sort it out." Station Officer Tony Suggitt of Grangetown fire station said the rocket attack on Bell's store in Bankfields Road, Normanby, at about 10.30pm could have "caused serious injury or loss of life". He added: "The consequences of this mindless act are unthinkable. "This rocket was exploding inside the shop. There were three members of staff and two members of the public inside. Fortunately it burnt itself out but it came to rest next to the store's own firework stock. "If that had gone up it would have been a major fire. The staff were brilliant. They got themselves and the customers out and closed the door." Station Officer Ron Carr, of Middlesbrough fire station, said: "On a number of occasions we had fireworks thrown at us.
In Broadwell road the police were also attacked." Thugs attacked council staff as they inspected a huge rubbish pile built on the Green in Beechwood, Middlesbrough. The imposing bonfire, which they started to build on Tuesday, was believed to have been burnt down by another gang during the night. But yesterday, the youths were back out in force, creating a pile more than 20ft high just yards from residents' homes.
Council workers were stopped from removing the rubbish from the prepared bonfire yesterday afternoon after gangs guarding it began pelting them with missiles. A pensioner was verbally abused by a parent when she confronted him about dumping rubbish on the fire.
The bonfire was later burned by the youths. Joan McTigue, councillor for the ward, said: "It is outrageous. "We have got some rough ground at the back of Beechwood - why couldn't they have built it there? "It leaves a big scorch mark in the middle of Beechwood and then there is the danger to people's homes." Thousands of people took to the streets of Stockton, where fireworks erupted in the night sky, creating a blaze of colour.
The annual event, organised by the borough council, saw people watch the sky light up from Riverside Road, Thornaby's Teesdale site and vantage points across the town.

November 6 2003, Leeds Today, Blair's praise as firework laws on the way
TONY Blair today praised the Yorkshire Evening Post as the Government unveiled a bid to crack down on fireworks terror.
In a major victory for the YEP Save the Fireworks for Bonfire Night campaign, powerful fireworks used for professional displays will be outlawed to the public. Spot fines on people throwing fireworks will be doubled to £80.
And it will be illegal for under-18s to carry fireworks in the street, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt confirmed. Home Secretary David Blunkett denounced use of fireworks as "dangerous weapons."
The moves follow a wave damage from violent attacks with fireworks including the terrorising of people and pets and the wrecking of cars and telephone boxes.
Today Tony Blair said: "I congratulate the YEP for campaigning for action on fireworks. It shows again how what matters to its readers matters to the YEP.
"I can promise that if those on the front line convince us that more needs to be done to stop the misery that fireworks bring, we won't hesitate to act again."
Mr Blair condemned the misery that left householders too scared to leave their homes for fear of fireworks thrown at them.
Action including an 11pm curfew on letting off fireworks at night and a licence system for shops will not be brought into force until next year, the Government said.
Critics say a planned 120 decibel limit on fireworks noise is still too high. The new restrictions are also too late for this Bonfire Night season and some of the plans will not be in operation until next summer.
Mr Blunkett said: "In the wrong hands fireworks are not only noisy and alarming, they can be dangerous weapons that can be used to terrorise neighbourhoods."
They new regulations were welcomed today by Maurice Johnson of Harrogate, whose late wife Marjorie campaigned tirelessly for new laws before her death in June.
He said: "Marjorie would have been very pleased. It is something we have waited a long time for and is bound to be a step forward.
"These recent incidents where fireworks have been thrown into houses are very concerning so hopefully these new measures will help. But I suppose we will have to wait and see."

November 6 2003, ManchesterOnline - News, Night on call with 999 team
Ambulance crew 735, November 5 is no fun at all.
They are already under enormous pressure and could do without the extra work created by bonfire night.
But when 11-year-old Ben Madgewick fell into a fire, paramedic supervisor Gareth Jones and ambulance technician Paul Harvey were on hand to rush him to hospital.
The youngster had been helping his step-dad to rebuild the bonfire in the back garden of their house on Willow Road, Swinton. As Ben went up to add more wood to the flames, he tripped and plunged into the bonfire on his hands and knees. His family watched in horror as he screamed and leaped from the fire with serious burns on his hands and knees.
It was the first bonfire casualty of the night, but not the first time that ambulance crew 735 had dealt with serious children's injuries that day. Gareth and Paul were called to transfer a diabetic baby from Pendlebury to Booth Hall Children's Hospital in a straightforward "taxi run", but within minutes, the routine job turned into an emergency when the child stopped breathing.
Gareth, who has more than 26 years experience, jumped in to revive the eight-month-old boy and he was able to bring him around before the youngster slipped into a coma as he arrived at Booth Hall.
Gareth may have saved the child's life, but he was quick to dismiss it as one of the many jobs the crew face every day.
For the past three months, ambulance crews like 735 have been snowed under with calls.
"We get battered with calls and the workload is immense," said Gareth. "On bonfire night, there have been so many calls that they have been struggling to find vehicles.
"In the last three months, my workload has doubled, but it's a brilliant job and it has improved in the last few years. But people aren't using 999 properly - they call for things like toothache, and one man wanted us to put money in his meter."
The father-of-two has seen many children seriously hurt by fireworks on bonfire night, but it came as a relief that no cases cropped up during his shift.
Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust dealt with eight firework and bonfire injuries during the night. Most injuries were minor, but the worst was a 56-year-old man who nearly lost his finger and thumb when a firework went off in his hand in Longsight. He was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital for specialist treatment.
At the end of a 12-hour shift, Crew 735 finished on a high note when they picked up mum-to-be Sharon Rodger, from Clifton, who had gone into labour.

November 6 2003, ManchesterOnline - News, Rocket shock on busiest night of the year
FIREFIGHTERS in Greater Manchester faced their busiest night on record as 850 calls were logged during Guy Fawkes celebrations.
Greater Manchester County Fire Service was overwhelmed by hundreds of calls an hour to deal with out-of-control bonfires and blazes caused by fireworks.
On a normal night the service gets 200 calls between 5.30pm to 8.30am but the number of emergencies soared last night.
One wayward rocket burnt through a conservatory roof and landed in the middle of a table.
Sales executive Anita Abraham, 55, was watching TV at home on Hawkstone Avenue, Whitefield, when she heard a series of loud bangs and discovered the three-foot rocket had crashed through the perspex roof of her conservatory.
Now she is supporting the M.E.N. campaign to have fireworks banned except for official public displays.
She said: "I couldn't believe my eyes, a rocket on the table."
Anita says she was lucky she was not injured by the firework when it landed at around 10.30pm.
"I have heating in the conservatory and often sit in there at night reading a book," she said.
"I totally back the M.E.N. campaign. If people must have fireworks then they should only be for properly organised displays.
"As it is, anyone can get hold of fireworks and this shows the damage they can cause."
An estimated 40,000 people attended six official bonfire and firework shows throughout Manchester.
But fire chiefs said many people held their own parties and they were plagued by timewasters who called because they couldn't be bothered to put out their bonfires.
Greater Manchester spokesman Ian Bailey said: "It was the busiest night that anyone can remember, certainly the busiest in the last year.
"There were a lot of nuisance calls from people who thought they could see smoke around the area so they called 999. But when we arrived we often found it was an organised bonfire.
"We also got calls from people who couldn't be bothered to put out their bonfires. There were a lot of problems with gangs of youths going around setting fire to absolutely anything including bins, cars and houses."
At 9pm firefighters tackling a blaze were attacked by youths with fireworks in Ashton-under-Lyne. Crews were attending a fire in Burlington Street when they were bombarded with rockets by a group of 30 youths, aged between 12 and 16.
A rocket damaged one of the fire engines, while some of the firemen narrowly avoided serious injury when the rockets were fired at them. Crews also came under a hail of bottles as they arrived at a fire at an outbuilding on Norris Road in Sale Moor where it is suspected youths had started a blaze.
MANCHESTER'S aggressive crusade against firework louts has been hailed as the must successful in years.
Child actors were sent into 44 shops to see if retailers broke the strict 18-and-over rule on firework sales - but none did.
And more than 100 shops signed up to the voluntary pledge not to sell fireworks until three weeks before Bonfire Night, said city council executive member for environment Val Stevens.

November 6 2003, Newry Democrat Emergency services face Halloween attacks
EMERGENCY services came under attack on Friday night as Halloween celebrations turned ugly.
Fire crews were attacked as they responded to bonfires across the district and one fire fighter received a hand injury after being struck by a firework.
Fire Services reported five attacks on crews in the area on Friday night, including incidents in Newry, Bessbrook, Newtonhamilton and Meigh.
A spokesperson for Newry Fire Station said, "We had five Civil Disturbances on Friday night. At a call in Wilton Grove, Bessbrook, stones, missiles and fireworks were fired, damaging the windscreen of the appliance.
"Appliances also came under attack with missiles and stones when responding to calls at Monnina Park, Meigh, Mourne View Park in Newry, and two calls to the Chancellor's Road, and a fire-fighter was also struck on the hand with a firework."
UUP councillor and Bessbrook resident Danny Kennedy slammed those responsible for the attacks and urged parents to be more aware of the actions of their children.
"I am concerned that there seems to be a distinct lack of parental control in all of this. Parents of young people must be more active on knowing where their children are going and what they are doing.
"Parents should not simply let their children out and then not taker responsibility for their actions. In have received numerous complaints from elderly people in the area who were petrified by large numbers of youths roaming Newtonhamilton and acting like louts and hooligans," he said.
In another incident in Bessbrook, Mr Kennedy condemned an arson attack at the kitchen area of Bessbrook Primary School.
"There's enormous relief in the area that serious damage has not been caused to the main school building," he said, "and security at the school complex will have to be urgently reviewed."

November 6 2003, Newry Democrat, Kitten subjected to 'sickening' attack
A COWARDLY attack on a defenceless kitten in Newry has been strongly condemned by the USPCA and local veterinary surgeons.
The kitten was put into a traffic cone by a group of youths who then repeatedly threw the cone against a wall, inflicting serious head and facial injuries to the cat.
A member of the public found the distressed animal near Monaghan Row and took it to the Newry Veterinary Centre where the animal was nursed back to health.
Liam Fitzsimmons, a vet at the centre, slammed those responsible for the mindless act and called for a greater awareness of animal cruelty. "This is sickening behaviour," he said. "When we took the kitten in it had blood coming from a head wound and bruising to one of its eyes.
"This attack is the latest in a spate of incidents. Two weeks ago a kitten was brought in to the surgery with its tail badly injured by a firework, and recently we treated a dog that was also hurt after a firework was attached to it.
"These type of incidents are not restricted to the Newry area however. They are happening across the country and they must be highlighted," he added.
Alan Ward, USPCA County Welfare Officer for Down, said attacks on animals in the Newry area was on the increase.
"This is another sad case in a long line of attacks on defenceless animals. These attacks are on the increase in the Newry area and I would urge members of the public who witness suck attacks on animals to contact the USPCA Animal Helpline on 08000 280 010."

November 6 2003, Scotsman.com, Two injured at fireworks show in Edinburgh
FIREWORKS debris landed in the crowd during a huge display at Meadowbank Stadium last night leaving two people needing medical treatment.
Two females in their 20s were slightly injured and received attention from paramedics at the scene, but were not taken to hospital.
The accident took place during the city's largest organised fireworks display which attracted more than 5500.
And firefighters were called to deal with three separate blazes on the city's historic Arthur's Seat.
It is believed the fires may have started out as bonfires, but spread due to the windy and dry conditions.
A spokesman for First Leisure, which organised the Meadowbank display, said: "An incident occurred when debris from a firework appears to have bounced into a small section of the terracing at Meadowbank.
"Two casualties were treated quickly by first aid staff and were able to return home after the event.
"Edinburgh Leisure & City of Edinburgh Council's Public Safety Department were satisfied that all reasonable precautions had been undertaken during the event. A reputable pyrotechnics company, which has been delivering displays for a number of years throughout the United Kingdom, was used.
"All appropriate health and safety guidelines were followed to ensure the safety of the crowd at all times," he added.
Firefighters in the city faced their busiest night of the year, responding to more than 600 calls, but no serious incidents or injuries were reported.
A spokeswoman for the fire brigade said 20 emergency vehicles were out for most of the evening with little respite. "They have hardly had a spare moment," she added. "Some have never made it back to the station before we were redirecting them again."
At Meadowbank Stadium onlookers were treated to a spectacular firework display accompanied by music.
Forth One radio presenter Big Al, stilt-walkers and tunes from the Penicuik and District Pipe Band also kept the crowds entertained.
In Fife, the fire brigade received more than 200 calls, the majority for bonfire-related incidents.
Firefighters dealt with more than 2200 calls across Scotland. No major incidents or serious injuries were reported.
In the most serious incident, three people were taken to hospital after a rocket was fired through a kitchen window in Glasgow.
A 70-year-old woman and a 45-year-old woman were among those taken to the city's Victoria Infirmary.
The incident happened in Ardnahoe Avenue, Rutherglen, near Glasgow, at about 5pm.
Both women were believed to have been treated for smoke inhalation, lacerations and shock.

November 6 2003, Telegraph,  My Harmonious Swan goes bang
As soon as I saw the thing, lurking at the bottom of the display case, I knew we had to have it. Frankly, I couldn't believe you could buy anything like it on the open market. It was a kind of mortar bomb. It was designed exactly like that once-vital piece of Nato kit, the Wombat multiple rocket launcher. It was the size of a couple of breeze blocks covered with shiny multi-coloured wrapping paper. It was a milk crate full of gunpowder.

It was called some absurd Chinese euphemism like "Harmonious Swan", and as we staggered home with it, my children and I, we knew we had the Big One. Other households had their sissy little rockets and Catherine wheels. We had the cardboard Krakatoa.

All day long the Harmonious Swan sat on the shelf, and we gazed longingly at it, and speculated on the shock and awe it would produce that November 5 in the skies above London. By 7pm our excitement was uncontainable. The Harmonious Swan was placed on a plank at the bottom of the garden, as far away from the house as possible.

Trembling, I approached with a match; and the results left us literally speechless. With a horrible gibbering wail, as though opening the door on the torture chambers of hell, the Harmonious Swan fired its first tube into the sky.

There followed one of those catastrophic events that one associates with the birth or death of a star, as the harmonious ordnance exploded over the People's Republic of Islington. It was a combination of the Last Trump and the Horsehead Nebula in Andromeda, only not frozen, like the nebula, but a series of vast symmetrical showers of gold, white, red, green, blue.

Then, just as the ash and paper fragments were settling on our pale and upturned faces, the Harmonious Swan belched fire again. And it penetrated my frazzled consciousness that the firework had 47 more tubes to fire, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Eek-pow, eek-pow, eek-pow it went, each roman candle igniting the next. After a while I noticed that the Swan was stationed quite near an old ash tree, and with each detonation, the missiles were getting nearer and nearer a branch about 20 feet up...

Hardly had the thought formed when, eek-pow, the Harmonious Swan fired for the last time. Whang, the warhead hit the tree; thplunk, it hit another branch; and then zowee, part of it headed over the road and another part of it fizzled, praise be, somewhere near our horrified feet.

No one, thank heaven, was hurt, though the tree fell down the following year in mysterious circumstances, destroying a wall and two cars. As my wife said after the Swan had croaked its last, and we all stood, breathless and stunned: "Frankly, those things ought to be kept out of the hands of people like you."

So when I heard that the Government was planning to bring in draconian new fireworks legislation, I assumed immediately that it was intended to prohibit the use of the Harmonious Swan by anyone not properly trained in ballistics.

I could not believe that a natural bossyboots like Patricia Hewitt would allow freeborn Englishmen to continue, as I do, to scorch our gardens once a year.

My friends, I was wrong. I have consulted John Woodhead, chairman of the British Fireworks Association, and, would you believe it, there is not the slightest intention of banning the Swan. Terrifying though it may be to the amateur, the Swan is fully in conformity with British Standards and the 1875 Gunpowder Act. Its barrels may bark like thunder, but they are no more than 30mm wide, and there is no intention to make them illegal, or even to oblige the user to possess a licence.

The most important provision in the Bill is in fact a sensible one, namely that persons under 18 should not be allowed to roam around the streets with fireworks in their pockets, because they are all too likely to set them off. I support this suggestion, because in the matter of fireworks I have found I have come up against the limits of my libertarianism.

This column has been fearless in its support of freedom of one kind or another. We have defended foxhunting; and I point out, again, that there are only three governments in history which have tried seriously to enact a ban on hunting with hounds, and they are Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Adolf Hitler's Germany, and Tony Blair's New Labour.

We have stuck up for the rights of smokers, drinkers and bingers of all kinds. We have defended the fundamental right of Glenn Hoddle to believe that he will be reincarnated as a baked bean; and we have entered a discreet word in support of Bill Clinton when he was being persecuted over Monica Lewinsky.

But there comes a point when individual liberty is simply abused, and is grossly degrading the lives of the community. That point has long since been reached with fireworks.

We can all tolerate displays on November 5; in fact, as children, we looked forward to them all the more keenly because they were held only on November 5. Fireworks are now being used every day, at all times of the day, and living in any British city is like being in downtown Baghdad, so incessant is the popping of gunpowder.

Yesterday a dog was brutally tortured in Lanarkshire. And in Liverpool the 35th telephone box was blown up by a rocket that was almost certainly illegal. Those illegal fireworks must be stopped, and the use of fireworks must once again be a sign of celebration, and not random thuggery.

If the legislation is to work, we must all have the guts to say, oi, no, to those who are breaking the law. Because otherwise they'll insist on licences for everyone, or impose an outright ban on the Harmonious Swan. And that would be sad.

November 6 2003, The Comet Online - Pupil is suspended after rocket prank
A SCHOOL has suspended a 15-year-old boy after a rocket was set off inside the building.
The incident took place at Heathcote School, Stevenage, on Monday while pupils milled around as they changed lessons.
It is believed the rocket was let off in a stairwell. A teacher heard the firework explode and rushed from a nearby room to find the stairwell filled with smoke and a group of children running from the scene.
Heathcote School headteacher Linda Devlin said "We launched an internal inquiry to find out who was responsible for letting this firework off.
"The rocket was lit at the bottom of the stairwell and thank God nobody was hurt.
"This was just stupidity and extremely dangerous behaviour. "I can confirm a Year 11 pupil has been sent home following our inquiry.
"Pupils know there is a ban on bringing fireworks into school but thankfully, on this occasion, nobody was hurt and there was no damage."
But one angry parent whose child witnessed the incident said: "The kids at this school are becoming lawless.
"They take no notice of authority from teachers and are running riot. "I understand a lot of children were in the stairwell at the time the rocket was let off and if it had hit anyone they could have been seriously injured.
"A lot of parents are angry at what is going on there, not just inside but outside the school. Unfortunately many of those responsible for the school's problems know they can get away with anything because teachers are weak."
Responding to the accusations Miss Devlin said: "These comments are utterly outrageous and I completely refute them. This person is being vindictive and has got a grievance against the school."

November 6 2003, The Herald, Blair hints at fireworks curbs
FURTHER curbs on fireworks are expected to be introduced in the next session of parliament as the government presses ahead with its purge on anti-social behaviour.
Tony Blair did not reveal details of the new measures yesterday during prime minister's question time, however Bill Tynan, Labour MP for Hamilton South, whom the prime minister paid tribute to for campaigning to outlaw firework abuse, said he expected further legislation to cover a wide range of issues.
The possibility of the tighter measures was made known on the same day that the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and fire service management failed to reach agreement over a pay deal dispute as the service prepared for its busiest night of the year.
Mr Tynan, who intends to maintain his campaign to outlaw firework abuse until more comprehensive legislation reaches the statute book, said he was delighted that the government was enacting measures in the Fireworks Act.
He said: "I sincerely hope the government will act as quickly as possible to deal with issues such as the illegal importation, distribution and storage, which leads to indiscriminate sale outside schools, in pubs and clubs, feeding the anti-social behaviour that is abhorrent to the decent and law-abiding citizens within all our communities."
Speaking in the House of Commons, the prime minister said that, before Christmas, possession of fireworks by under-18s in public places would be banned, possession of the "largest most powerful" fireworks would be outlawed, and there would be fixed penalty notices for people caught throwing fireworks in the street.
The FBU claimed many firefighters across the UK took part in a second day of unofficial industrial action yesterday, only answering 999 calls. Crews from five of Scotland's eight brigades worked to rule on Tuesday.
Yesterday, only firefighters in Dumfries and Galloway were understood to be involved.
The move demonstrated the anger of firefighters that the second stage of an agreed 16% pay deal will be paid in two parts - 3.5% tomorrow and another 3.5% next year, pending approval by the Audit Commission - rather than as a single 7% rise tomorrow.
John McDonald, FBU executive member for Scotland, said he was disappointed and angry that no agreement was reached yesterday. He said: "There is a lot of anger about at the moment. Management are continuing to refuse to honour the agreement. The union executive will meet tomorrow to discuss what action can be taken."

November 6 2003, The Herald, Three people are injured as a firework sets their home alight
Three people were taken to hospital last night after their home was set alight by a firework that went through their kitchen window.
A 45-year-old woman was showered with glass and had to be treated for cuts, while a 70-year-old man suffered smoke inhalation and a 70-year-old woman was treated for shock.
All three were suffering from temporary severe deafness as a result of the incident in the Toryglen area of Glasgow, and were taken to the Victoria Infirmary for treatment.
Police were investigating the possibility that the incident had been caused by a stray firework and was not malicious.
The incident came as it emerged that further curbs on fireworks are expected to be introduced in the next session of parliament. It also came as the Fire Brigades Union and employers failed to reach agreement over a pay deal dispute as the service prepared for its busiest night of the year.
A neighbour said: "We are lucky we don't have a tragedy here. I hate fireworks and never let my kids play with them. I would ban them if I had anything to do with it."

November 6 2003, The News & Star, ROCKET HORROR FOR OAP
A CARLISLE widow was last night targeted by yobs who shoved a firework through her letter box in a potentially lethal prank.
The lighted rocket ricocheted off two walls in pensioner Joan Doust's home in Brunstock Close, Lowry Hill, before ending up under the stairs, burning and singeing hallway and stair carpets, and filling the unoccupied house with smoke.
It was one of the most serious of 70 firework-related incidents which firefighters had to deal with on Bonfire Night - double the number of last year.
In total, the fire brigade received 162 calls from worried Cumbrians over firework or bonfire related incidents.
Mrs Doust, 66, had called police after returning home from a woodwork class at around 9pm to discover the lighted rocket smouldering in her hall. The fireworks caused £1,500 damage to her home, which was only redecorated two weeks ago.
She said: "When I opened the door, smoke hit me and knocked me back. When I looked, I saw bits of the rocket. It must have bounced off the wall, onto the door, before hitting another wall and then falling under the stairs.
"It fell into a pile of spectacles which melted. Luckily I had closed the upstairs window because it was Bonfire Night. The lack of oxygen meant it didn't flare up."
Mrs Doust, whose son Phillip, 37, lives with her, added: "I've been washing down the walls and furniture all morning.
"We are cheesed off. I have lived here for 20 years and we have had a lot of bother. It was probably kids who can get away easily."
A police spokesman said: "It's possible that the people who had done this may not have known whether there was someone in the property or not. This is an incredibly dangerous thing to do."
Elsewhere, in Caird Avenue, Belah, Carlisle, a living room window was smashed at around 8.30pm when a firework hit the house, causing £200 of damage.
Youths were also reported to be throwing fireworks in a play area at Moorville Drive, Belah.
At Silloth firefighters tackled a small blaze in the police station at 7.20pm after a firework had been put through the letter box. It ignited a newspaper in the caged letter box.
Fireworks were also pushed through the letter box of the Derwent Brewery in Station Road, Silloth but no serious damage was caused.
Fireworks were also aimed at a house in Church Street, Appleby, at around 8.40pm.
Dumfries and Galloway fire crews were called out 17 times, mostly to false alarms.

November 6 2003, This is Local London, Fireworks Prank Started Leisure Centre Blaze
Two hundred people had to be evacuated from a Harrow leisure centre last night after youths were seen throwing fireworks in a locker.
The London fire brigade received 1000 emergency calls in the Capital between 6pm and midnight, nearly three times the average, on what was a hectic bonfire night.
At its peak, the LFB control centre received 240 calls an hour, of which the majority were for bonfires and outdoor rubbish fires which were out of control, a LFB spokeswoman said.
The most serious fireworks-related fire was at the Harrow Leisure Centre on Christchurch Ave, Harrow at about 7pm.
Police believe the fire was started by two youths who were captured on CCTV putting something in a locker which then set the locker alight, a Scotland Yard statement said.
Twenty-five firefighters fought the blaze which damaged a small part of the ground floor but caused no injuries.
Leisure centre staff evacuated the building after they were told by a member of the public that three youths were seen with fireworks in the changing rooms, police say.
The suspects are described as two young white males.
One was wearing blue tracksuit bottoms with white strips and a dark top.
The other youth was wearing a beige hooded top with the word 'GAP' on the front and black tracksuit trousers with a white stripe running down the side and a baseball cap.
DS Andy George Harrow CID said it was a "very potentially dangerous act of arson," during the leisure centre's busy time.
"We would like to hear from anyone who was at the leisure centre on last night who may have seen the suspects.
In particular, we would like the person who informed the Leisure Centre Staff of the youths in the changing room, to speak to us."
Any one with any information is asked to call Harrow CID 020 8733 3436 or alternatively if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Meanwhile a stray firework is believed to have caused a fire in a roof of a three floored house in Anlaby Road, Teddington last night.
Twenty firefighters managed to contain the fire to the roof area.

November 6 2003, Watford Observer, Call For Firework Vigilance
PARENTS are warned to watch out for sparkler danger as bonfire night celebrations reach a climax this weekend.
Sparklers cause many injuries to young children each year and the county's chief fire officer Steve Seaber has urged mums and dads to take care.
He said: "Sparklers burn with an intense white heat and should not be given to children under five.
"Never leave children unattended when they are holding sparklers and once they have finished burning, douse them quickly in a bucket of water as they remain very hot even when seemingly burned out."
People are also advised not to drink alcohol if they will be in charge of a bonfire or lighting fireworks and to keep pets indoors.