A 15-year-old has been after a young girl was left fighting for her life when she was struck by a firework on Bonfire Night.
The four-year-old remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition following the firework chaos which saw up to 100 teenagers ‘fire rockets at each other’ in Burnley, Lancashire, last week.
Police were called shortly before 8.50pm on Wednesday to the Elm Street area of the town following a report the girl had been struck by a firework and suffered multiple serious injuries.
Locals – who regularly suffer fireworks-related problems – said the violence was the ‘worst it has ever been’.
A resident said anyone venturing into the area risked taking ‘your life into your own hands’.
On Monday, Lancashire Constabulary said: ‘Today we have arrested a 15-year-old boy from Burnley on suspicion of statutory public nuisance.
‘The arrest relates to the alleged supply of fireworks and he remains in custody at this time.
‘We are continuing to appeal for witnesses.
The child remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition following the firework chaos which took place in the Elm Street area in Burnley, Lancashire on Wednesday
‘Anyone with information or footage can email burnley.npt@lancashire.police.uk or call 101 and quote log 492 of 5th November 2025.’
Police have said that the area had seen previous anti-social use of fireworks, but added ‘this year has gone too far’.
One local, Riz Zahid, 38, said: ‘I’m not surprised someone has got injured. There were fireworks flying around everywhere.
‘It wasn’t just the little rockets we used to have when we were kids.
‘These fireworks were huge and they kept firing rockets one after another.
You really did take your life into your own hands going on there.
‘It wasn’t just on the car parks. They were running around the nearby streets setting fireworks off. They were so loud!’
Another resident, Azhar Iqbal, 50, said: ‘I have lived here for 22 years and this year was the worst it’s ever been.
‘There were at least 100 teenagers running around setting fireworks off.
‘They were on the health centre and business centre car parks, firing the rockets at each other.
‘One group would set fire rockets off and then the other would fire back at them.’
He added: ‘It looked like they had some kind of launcher and were aiming at each other.
‘It was scary. They were running around the streets on Bonfire Night.’