From March 16, 1990 An alarmingly high proportion of Kingston children who attended bonfire parties last November were injured in firework accidents, a survey revealed.

One in every 39 children who attended a party was injured, according to trading standards officers, whose shocking statistics contrasted sharply with the Government’s.

More than 1,000 Kingston schoolchildren responded to a survey conducted throughout the south-east in a bid to determine the true accident rate.

Comments included: “I was at my friend’s. Her uncle lit a firework and it blew up in his face.”

“A rocket went off when a friend lit it. It went after him; he tripped over and it burned his hand and face.”

“It set fire to my sister’s anorak.” “I was hit by a flame from a rocket.”

About 7,000 children answered the questions, and 189 reported accidents.

The high accident rate was likely to lead to calls for tougher restrictions on the sale of fireworks and rules for public safety at displays, the Surrey Comet reported.

Ted Forsyth, chief trading standards officer in Kingston, said: “Some years ago a similar survey in Croydon caused concern. As a result the south-west London trading standards liaison group decided to conduct a more comprehensive survey throughout the whole area.

“Its findings are at odds with the figures produced by the Department of Trade and Industry, which appear to understate considerably the true figure.”

Reported firework incidents in Kingston included boxes of fireworks catching light, fireworks falling over, burns from apparently harmless fireworks like sparklers, rockets landing on people, and incidents involving children messing around with fireworks.

50 YEARS AGO: March 10, 1965

Only 20 people turned up to a meeting about a local government shake-up in Malden library, even though 1,700 leaflets were sent out about it.

The meeting was designed to explain how things would change under the new Kingston Council.

25 YEARS AGO: March 16, 1990

Kingston stepped up its war on litter by installing or replacing hundreds of litter bins around the borough.

The replacement bins, largely of the post-box design, were installed at shopping centres, schools, bus stops, seating areas and more.

10 YEARS AGO: March 16, 2005

Lucky John Lewis workers received a bonus worth more than seven weeks’ pay this time 10 years ago. The 14 per cent windfall was down to a 24 per cent rise in annual profits for the partnership, delighting its 1,140 town centre workers and 195 Waitrose staff.