SPARKLERS are little more than “red hot pokers” while fireworks are "explosives" which can lead to the loss of fingers and eyes.

That is the warning from St Helens fire chief Chris Case ahead of bonfire night.

His comments come as firefighters are visiting schools with dummy fireworks issuing warnings about the horrific injuries they can cause.

Mr Case said: “Fireworks can cause significant damage if unsupervised. They are explosives and should be treated as such.

“Burns from fireworks are often very deep and scar badly. They don’t just blister. So if know of anyone selling fireworks from their home or the back of a car call the authorities.

“The idea is to give children a chance to see what they look like, the sort of size they can be and the dangers they pose.”

He also stressed the potential dangers of wheelie bin and illegal bonfires: “A fully loaded bin can give off as much heat as a car fire. It gives off that much energy. Especially if there are combustible materials inside.

“Firefighters carry out significant safety procedures when tackling these fires because you are never sure what’s in them whether it’s aerosols or plastic.

“It is important to secure your bin. There have been recent incident when bin fires have caused damage to houses because they have been left near a window.”

The hazards of illegal rubbish fires were also highlighted: “Again you can’t be certain what is in these fires. Along with being a nuisance, they could be dangerous. There could be plastic inside which could give off poisonous gas.

“And it has to be cleaned up. If you see any piled of rubbish which may be used as a bonfire call the council’s contact centre on 01744 676789.

Firefighters are backing this year’s Spark in the Park display in Sherdley Park on Wednesday, November 5.

For a list of events run by the fire service and organised firework displays go to merseyside.police.uk/autumn-fun or fireportservices.org.uk