BBC NI's Mervyn Jess: "Fireworks accident left child maimed for life"

Natasha McCausland lost four fingers, and her seven-year-old brother Nathan was also slightly injured, in the incident in the Knockmoy area of the town on Monday night.

The brother and sister had been playing in a garden when they found the rocket at approximately 1830 BST.

It is understood the firework exploded while Natasha held it in her hand.

A number of local people raised the alarm. Two of the injured girl's missing fingers were found near the scene.

This morning Natasha underwent surgery in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast while her brother was released with minor injuries.

Natasha (right) and brother Nathan: could have been killed

The children's mother, Anne McCausland, said Natasha also suffered injuries to her leg and could lose her thumb.

"It was like a big bang, in fact some people here thought it was a gas explosion," she said.

Natasha's older sister, Bernice O'Neill, said the children could have been killed in the explosion. She warned parents to take extra care with their children while they handled fireworks.

"Be careful and watch your kids and, for the kids themselves, they're dangerous, they can kill you."

Millenium danger

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) spokesperson Janice Bisp has predicted more people will be injured this year because of the increased number of fireworks in use for millennium celebrations.

"There are going to be more Natashas, I expect, before Halloween," she said.

"Unless we have got the message through to parents that they need to learn the firework safety code themselves and teach it to their children, I can't see we're going to make a huge difference compared to last year," she said

An RUC spokesman also appealed for parents to warn their children of the dangers of fireworks.

He said: "We are appealing for parents to warn their children of the dangers of playing with fireworks and certainly not to pick up fireworks that they find in the street."

Figures released by RoSPA reveal that the number of injuries suffered in fireworks accidents in Northern Ireland decreased last year.

In 1998, 101 people were hurt, just half as many as two years previously.