A ten-year-old boy badly burned when he was pushed into a bonfire, and a policeman left gasping for air after tackling a firework-ignited blaze are being used to illustrate the dangers of Bonfire Night.

Washington schoolboy Paul Blyth is one example of many youngsters whose lives are put in danger around November 5 every year.

He suffered serious burn wounds to his leg and may have to have skin grafts after a friend pushed him into an 8ft high bonfire in the town last week.

With trousers alight he was pulled out of the fire by another friend and rolled on the grass to extinguish the flames.

Meanwhile, Washington PC Elliott Shotton was taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation on Wednesday night after investigating a blaze that started when vandals threw fireworks into a wheelie bin.

The officer and a colleague broke into an empty flat in Lingmell, Albany Village, after they saw smoke billowing out of a first floor window.

The blaze is thought to have started in a wheelie bin which had been left outside the door of the flat, sending flames shooting up the outside of the building.

Paul reckons he was lucky to escape more serious injury. He said: "This lad pushed me into the bonfire, but I was dragged out and started rolling round on the floor to put out the fire on my leg. I'd seen this done on the telly.

"I think I was quite lucky."

Chief Inspector Graham Davis, of Northumbria Police, said: "We put this message out every year and cannot emphasise more strongly the danger of fireworks and bonfires.

"They look exciting and can be great fun, but young people don't realise the dangers until it's too late to turn the clock back."