A WOMAN narrowly escaped losing her sight after a gang of thugs hurled a firework in her face.

Pervaz Bashier, 49, was getting out of the car near her Fishwick Parade home on Tuesday when she was hit by a rocket firework.

The explosive device struck the mum-of-five in the head, ripping out clumps of her hair. Part of her left ear was singed and her face was badly burnt. "I'm lucky not to be blind," Mrs Bashier said.

"Both my eyes would have been gone if I had been looking up."

Police are investigating and intend to speak to the part-time teacher and her family.

Mrs Bashier had just got out of the car to help guide her daughter Sonia into a parking space at 7.30pm.

Sonia, 21, a student at the University of Central Lancashire, said: "There were two gangs in the street, throwing fireworks at each other, one of the long rockets hit my mum on the head and she couldn't get it out of her hair.

"It was very frightening and she was getting burnt."

Mrs Bashier was treated at the Royal Preston Hospital's accident and emergency department.

Despite Mrs Bashier's horrific injuries Sister Sarifa Kabir, from the Preston hospital's casualty department, said there had been few firework-related incidents this year in the lead-up to Bonfire Night, with only ten patients coming to casualty department in Preston over the last couple of weeks.

Although the fire service received a total of 438 calls across the county on Bonfire Night, John Taylor, from Lancashire Fire and Rescue, said, generally, people had heeded safety messages.

The police have had a number of incidents of fireworks smashing through people's windows.

A firework damaged a window at the residential care home Ainsdale House, Ashton, and another property was damaged in Blackpool Road.