England’s top children’s doctor is encouraging people to enjoy Bonfire Night and Diwali safely as the celebrations return following restrictions last year.

Simon Kenny, paediatric surgeon and the NHS’s national clinical director for children and young people, is urging the public to be extra careful when handling fireworks or sparklers this winter, especially if children or young people are nearby.

Latest data shows that there were more than 100 hospital admissions of people injured by fireworks in 2020/21. Some 21 of the 116 admissions involved children aged 14 or under, with nine aged between one and four.

The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) publishes tips for firework safety and is encouraging the public, especially families with young children, to remember the Stop, Drop and Roll technique. If clothes do catch fire, CAPT recommends you stop whatever you are doing, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands, and roll over and over to put out the flames.

Kenny said: “Bonfire Night and Diwali are great opportunities to celebrate, but we want everyone to enjoy them safely and children may not always realise the risks posed by fireworks, bonfires and sparklers.

“So if you are attending or hosting a firework display it’s really important to take care and ensure that youngsters are properly supervised. And please make sure you know what to do if an accident does occur, whether that is applying basic first aid yourself, consulting 111 online for less serious injuries or calling 999 where it is life-threatening.”