A 12-YEAR-OLD boy was left temporarily blinded when an aerosol can exploded in his face after being thrown into a fire.

Today police and fire crews said the incident should act as a warning about the dangers of playing with fire in the run up to Bonfire Night.

Matthew Booth was playing with friends in the back garden of his home in Meadow Street, Accrington, when one of his pals lit a paper fire in an outside toilet and threw an aerosol can on to it.

Matthew tried to put out the fire but the can exploded in his face.

Police say the force of the blast in such a contained space would have been like a bomb going off. Firefighters said the boy had been very lucky to have sustained only singeing around his eyes and nose.

"He just came in screaming. I was frightened," said his mum, Lorraine Walker.

"I thought he had been scarred for life and gone blind because he wasn't opening his eyes.

"He just kept crying because his face was burning. The fireman said he was very lucky. It was a scare.

"Some older kids have been giving him lighters and that's not good. Not at his age.

"This is a bad estate and he's seen older kids putting fireworks in bottles.

"I would tell any parent not to let their kids hang around with lads that are playing with aerosols and setting these fires off."

The incident happened at noon on Saturday, and firefighters and paramedics treated Matthew at the scene before taking him to Blackburn Royal Infirmary where he was treated.

DS Paul Broxson, of Accrington CID, said: "I was concerned about the circumstances because it was in an outside toilet.

"It was a confined place, which always makes explosions more serious.

"It shattered the toilet. It could have been horrendous. It seems it's quite a common thing around there."

Leading Firefighter John Webster said: "I would like to warn everybody that a lot of aerosols contain flammable liquids and shouldn't be put on a fire or anything that's unduly hot because if the can ruptures due to the pressure, you will get an explosion.

"A lot of propellants are alcohol based and highly flammable."

And he issued a timely warning to children about the dangers of fireworks and other flammable objects.

"With bonfire night so close it's really important for children to understand that matches, lighters, aerosols and fireworks should not be played with. They are not toys," he said.

"Fireworks should only be set off at proper organised bonfires."