The child also suffered a broken arm and burns to his face after he handled the firework on Sunday evening in an incident on Teesside.

He is currently receiving treatment at the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough.

Police are urging parents to ensure their children are aware of the potential dangers of fireworks to prevent any similar incidents.

New powers

Supt Ian Richards, from Cleveland Police, said: "This little lad has some horrific injuries all of which could have been avoided by not playing with fireworks.

"We and our medical colleagues sincerely hope we do not see a repeat of this tragic incident and urge parents to drive home fireworks' safety messages.

"We also need mums and dads to know where their children are and what they are getting up to so no one else gets hurt."

The incident comes as a 19-year-old man was served with an �80 fixed penalty ticket for throwing fireworks from a car.

Following reports from members of the public, officers saw the man throwing fireworks from a vehicle in Tesco car park, in Hartlepool, on 24 October.

The man has 21 days to pay the fine. Police say they hope this will act as a warning to others, adding that they will not hesitate to use the new Home Office anti-social behaviour measures.