Crowd horror at Selsey firework display
A woman suffered burns to her lip and another could have been left with permanent eye damage as red-hot pieces of debris showered the crowd at Selsey fireworks display.
Thousands of people attended the fireworks on Saturday evening – but it was not enjoyable for all.
East Wittering resident Victoria Ford-Coates was left with burn marks on her lip after being hit with a glowing piece of firework, which narrowly missed a baby in a pram next to her.
"When the fireworks started, the debris was raining down all over us," she said. "People around me were getting hit by bits.
"The pieces coming down were huge – some of them were half the size of a coconut.
"It was lucky in a way it hit my lip and bounced off as next to me was a mum with her baby in a pram."
After the display began, Miss Ford-Coates (34) moved 30ft back from the fence – which is when she was hit.
"I assumed the organisers would have moved the fence back far enough so we wouldn't be hit by debris," she said.
"I can't help but wonder why such a large and seemingly well-organised display should result in this happening.
"The help and assistance by the committee members there, and by the first-aiders, was excellent and I hope a lesson can be learned for next year."
Rachel Clear was another who was injured when a small piece of debris hit her eye as she looked up at the fireworks.
The 30-year-old from Stockbridge Gardens, Donnington, had to go to Worthing Hospital next day to have it removed from the white of her eye.
Specialists told her if it had landed on her pupil it might have caused permanent damage.
She said: "We were quite near the front. We were just looking up and I felt something go into my eye – it felt quite hot, and I cleared my eye, thinking that was that.
"Quite a lot of stuff was falling down, so we moved further back because we had two youngsters with us.
"When I woke up the next morning I realised there was something in the white of my eye so I went to A&E."
Donna Chapman (52) from Selsey has been going to the fireworks since they started 29 years ago. "It was horrendous," she said.
"We were all standing where we were told to. Further back than us debris was landing and hitting people who were at the fayre.
"We have been going every year, and it has been brilliant. Next year is the 30th anniversary, but it will be a waste of money if that happens again."
Selsey fireworks committee vice-chairman Mervyn Hall said the incidents were being investigated by Selstar, which operated the fireworks at the event.
He said: "It is a bit like Newton's law – what goes up must come down.
"We always light the bonfire so people can see where the smoke is going, and where things are going to fall – we are always very concerned about that sort of thing.
"There is nothing else we could have done."
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Weather for Midhurst
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Temperature: 14 C to 25 C
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