Firework Terror

The 36-year-old was hit in the eye by a firework at the display on the green, and to make matters worse, Simon is a haemophiliac.

An eye witness, standing close to Simon, described seeing a fireball coming towards the crowd.

He said: "We were terrified, you just don't expect that sort of thing to happen."

Pyrotechnics company Selstar were commissioned to carry out the display by Arun District Council, which has always taken a tough stance on health and safety issues at similar events.

Peter Cooper, from Selstar, said: "The matter is still under investigation. We are waiting for some photographs to come back and are due to have a meeting with the Health and Safety Executive some time soon."

Arun District Council has launched a full investigation into the incident, and will announce findings once it is completed.

The drama began about 10 minutes into the display. As Simon was standing at the bottom of some steps in Banjo Gardens with his wife and two sons, a rocket came zooming towards them.

"There was lots of smoke and the children were screaming," said Simon, recounting the horror of the rogue firework.

He explained how the firework came underneath a lorry parked behind a plastic mesh fence.

"I think the lorry was parked there to stop that very thing happening," he said.

"When the firework hit the fence, it broke up into pieces, which carried on travelling towards the crowd.

"My wife managed to get my two children to safety and when I looked round, I realised I had been hit in the eye."

Simon went to the Red Cross tent, where he was treated by one of their staff. He says the woman treating him did an excellent job.

A man from the pyrotechnics team appeared in the tent with a radio.

"He was obviously shaken up, I could hear them calling a halt to the display over the man's radio and he was then asked to leave the tent."

He realised he would need to go to hospital as he thought he could be bleeding internally, and his condition means his blood does not clot normally.

While Simon was in hospital, he says his wife and sons, aged 10 and six, had to walk home from The Green to Beaconsfield Road in Wick, because no transport was available to take them home.

Head of Arun District Council leisure services, John Stride apologised to the Downs family.

"I don't think we were aware that there was a problem with transport. It is something we will certainly take on board and look into."