Horse put to sleep after being spooked by fireworks

Now, Nelly Shell, from Seahouses, is encouraging others to sign a petition calling on the Government to ban the sale of fireworks to the public and only approve organised displays.

The 27-year-old was alerted to the incident by a friend who kept her horse in the same field at Bamburgh.

She discovered that her 12-year-old thoroughbred, Boy, had cut his legs, severed a tendon and damaged his cannon bone when he ran into a barbed wire fence after becoming panicked by the loud bangs. The severity of the injuries meant that he had to be put to sleep.

Last Thursday, Nelly posted on Facebook: “Today I have to say goodbye to my amazing gentle Boy. I am absolutely heartbroken as this could have been avoided if people didn’t feel the need to set fireworks off right next to their field.”

Fireworks have also led to the tragic demise of a dog this year in Whitley Bay, as reported by our sister paper the News Guardian.

Nine-year-old collie Shearer was spooked by a burst of unplanned fireworks while out on a walk near St Mary’s lighthouse. He ran along the Links then down onto the beach and was last seen trying to get up the rocks.

A week later, it was announced that Shearer had been found on Redcar beach after reports of a collie being washed up.

Have your say on whether fireworks should be banned for sale to the public in our reader poll – http://tinyurl.com/zu58g95