FOUR people, including two children, were injured when a car full of yobs hurled fireworks into a crowded Bonfire Night party.

And shortly before the incident at the Church Inn in Spring Street, Bury, firefighters had to call for police protection when they were bombarded with missiles while putting out a dangerous bonfire in nearby Shepherd Street.

The pub drama occurred shortly before 9pm when a car carrying three Asian males drove past the Church Inn and two or three large fireworks were hurled into the beer garden.

At the time, around 30 people were enjoying a bonfire and fireworks display organised by the pub. As a result two adults and two children suffered minor flash burn injuries which required hospital treatment.

The eye-witness said: "Everyone was enjoying themselves when this car pulled up near the pub. Three young men were inside the car and then they threw two or three fireworks into the crowd.

"There were a number of children at the event and they were frightened. Four people, including two children, suffered flash burns and they went to hospital for a check-up. Everyone was fuming about what had happened.

"The injuries caused were thankfully minor but it could have been a lot worse."

The registration number of a Vauxhall Astra car was passed on to the police and investigations are continuing into the incident.

At 7.20pm on Tuesday, a fire crew from Heywood was called out to a back alley in nearby Shepherd Street to deal with a dangerous bonfire built too close to houses.

As firefighters tackled the burning pile of wood, a number of Asian youngsters hurled stones and other missiles at them. They were forced to call for police back-up but yobs had fled before officers arrived.

PC John Flowers, of Bury's operational police unit, confirmed the incidents and said efforts were ongoing to try and trace the occupants of the Astra car.

A MOTHER feared for the safety of her nine-year-old son after firework vandals bombed a van outside her house.

Young thugs threw a "super firework" into the parked van shortly before midnight on Saturday.

The industrial-strength firework immediately exploded in the VW vehicle blowing out all of its windows and buckling the body work.

Fire crews were called to the scene in Dalebeck Close, Whitefield, and extinguished a blaze which had started in the front passenger seat.

Mum Mrs Carol Norman was just on her way to bed at around 11.50pm when she heard a car alarm going off.

She said: "I looked out of the window upstairs and saw two lads messing with the van and shouted."

The next thing there was a massive explosion and I thought the van had completely blown up. My first thought was to wake up my son and get us both out of the house to safety."

Fearing the fire would spread to other vehicles parked in the cul-de-sac, the pair ran to a friend's house while neighbours contacted the emergency services.

She said: "I spent the night there instead of at home. I'm all right now but it was very frightening at the time. I was concerned in case the other cars blew up."

The van was a work vehicle used by her husband, Alan, who was out for the evening.

Alan, who works for Translift as a fork-lift truck repairer and fitter, said the vehicle would probably be written off due to the damage.

He said: "It was a brand new van, I'd only had it about five months. The firework has blown the windows clean out and there is a huge hole in the inside of the passenger door."

Pictured is Mr Andy Rhodes, area supervisor for Translift, who own the van, surveys the damage.