A FIRE cracker exploded in a cot just minutes after a baby had been sleeping in it.

The incident happened at a house in Lambton Road, Stockton, at the weekend.

It is believed someone had thrown the firework into the living room of the house. The six-week-old girl was unurt.

Naki Mohammed, father of the baby, and his friend Sarkhell Radha, both from Iraq, live in the house. They were joined by Naki's girlfriend, Michelle Davies, when the incident happened on Saturday.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "We are treating it as an isolated incident involving fireworks, which, unfortunately, are all too common at this time of year."