'˜Talk to your kids about the dangers of fireworks'

The appeal was posted on the PSNI Craigavon Facebook page following an incident in Lurgan on Friday night when a group of young people who were setting off fireworks ran from Neighbourhood Team officers shouting “PSNI scum”.

Stressing that the children involved in the incident were no older than 15, the post said: “If you haven’t yet, it would be a good time to sit down with your kids and discuss the following:

“1) Cheap import fireworks are rubbish, highly volatile, with varying standards of fuse. What is 5 seconds for one could be 2 seconds for another in the same packet. If it goes off in your hand, and you get a good deal, you’ll need major reconstructive surgery. If not, you’ll go through life minus a digit or 3. Let’s leave facial injuries for another day. Google search ‘firework injuries’ if you doubt the danger.

“2) Throwing them at other people is not just ridiculously dangerous, but also illegal. In fact kids possessing them is illegal. If found with fireworks this Halloween, action will be taken.

“3) “PSNI Scum”. This year, the ‘scum’ would very much like to cut down on the number of fireworks injuries and lives put at risk by illegal fireworks. If you child thinks we’re “scum” for that, there’s definitely another conversation that needs to happen at home. Again, show them some firework injury photos and suggest they contribute to society rather than becoming part of the problem.”

The post concluded: “If you have any information on who is selling fireworks to kids, where they’re storing them, how and when they’re selling them etc, please call us on 101. We will also take info on fireworks via private message to the page if it is around buy and sell sites or other social media based sales. Send us the link, and we’ll look at getting a warrant to ruin their day.”