Hengoed boy loses fingers after picking up firework

Kyran had shrapnel wounds across his face and body

A boy who picked up a firework which exploded in his hand is struggling with severe nightmares, his dad has said.

Kyran, nine, was playing with his friend Bradley, when a firework was allegedly thrown into their den on a field in Hengoed, Caerphilly county.

His dad Liam said: "One of his most vivid memories is watching his fingers fall off as he was walking home."

Gwent Police are investigating and have appealed for witnesses.

"As you can imagine we have been dealing with quite a distressed little boy," added Liam.

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Kyran lost two fingers and was at risk of losing his eyesight. He couldn't see for six days after the explosion.

His dad said they were hugely relieved when his sight came back.

"He didn't want to walk because he couldn't see, he couldn't understand where he was.

"He was getting quite frightened every time he heard loud noises."

The incident happened on Sunday 1 October at about 14:00 BST, when both boys allege a black box was thrown towards them.

They claimed Kyran picked it up intending to throw it away, but as they were in an enclosed space, it blew up, injuring his hand.

"As he picked it up it went bang in his hand. They were sat right next to each other," Liam said.

"There was no way of running off."

Kyran has lost two fingers and part of his middle finger - he now needs a skin, tendon and muscle graft to restore his palm

Both boys were knocked unconscious but a neighbour came to their aid after investigating the loud bang.

They were woken up and managed to walk over to Bradley's mother's house nearby where an ambulance was called.

Kyran is a keen biker

Kyran is being treated at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and needs a skin graft from the arch of his foot as he lost the muscle, tendon and fat in his palm.

"He burnt his corneas, he burnt his eyes, he's got permanent scarring and tattooing of the face.

"He got shrapnel burns across his chest, his stomach, burnt his legs, he's lost his little finger, lost his ring finger and lost a chunk of his middle finger."

They are unsure if his middle finger will recover as his son has so far lost feeling in it.

Kyran's eyes are being flushed out regularly to ensure they are free of shrapnel.

He is slowly starting to recover from his ordeal his dad said

"It's all in his face and his eyes.

"When you looked in his eye, when it first happened you could see the cuts and everything across the front of his eyeballs," added Liam.

"He had a lot of shrapnel . They [the nurses] said they were picking glass and metal out of his face."

He added that his son was slowly starting to recover from the ordeal and he was asking after his friend Bradley.

"They've been brilliant friends for quite a few years. It will bring them closer together."

He added that a fundraising page had been set up so they could take the boys on holiday and have some normality again.

Liam now believes that fireworks should be banned and only be used for public displays.

He said: "You can't go and buy a hand grenade in this country but you can buy an explosive device and do this kind of damage."