A father-of-five has urged people to be careful when buying sparklers after one exploded in his hand leaving him with severe burns and the possibility of plastic surgery.

Stuart Ringwood, who was born on Bonfire Night, purchased a packet of Yoyo Sparklers from Asteroid Fireworks in Norwich on New Year's Eve to help him ring in the new year with his family.

But when 35-year-old Mr Ringwood lit the sparkler that even it "went off like a rocket" leaving him with severe burns to his hand - despite insisting he was wearing gloves at the time.

He said: "The pain was like nothing else, it was excruciating. As soon as I lit it the thing just went fizz and almost went up like a firework.

"I went straight in to run my hand under cold water and it was black. I went to hospital the next day and a specialist told me I may have to have a skin graft to repair it."

It has meant Mr Ringwood, of Little Plumstead, has been unable to return to the timber yard he works at following the Christmas break.

He said: "I just thank God it happened to me and not one of the children. I work outdoors so my hands are fairly hardy, for one of them it would have been far worse."

Alan Watts, director of Asteroid Fireworks, said the sparklers were leftover from a batch that was recalled last year - and that they had since been taken off sale.

He said: "It's a very unfortunate incident indeed - we took them off sale last year and did not order any new ones, so I do not know how they ended up getting them. They must have ended up mixed up with our other sparklers and on that, I can only hold my hands up and apologise.

"It was an accident and I am very sorry it happened."

"However, it is so important that people respect fireworks when they buy them, even sparklers, read instructions carefully and abide by them."

Mr Ringwood added that the incident had not put him off fireworks, which he says he has always been fond of on account of his date of birth.