A dad has issued a warning to leave fireworks to trained professionals after blew him 10ft and blasted his eyeball open.
Robert Stott bought fireworks to set off to celebrate his niece's 21st birthday, in the venue carpark.
The 40-year-old lit the first set of fireworks without any issues, when he moved onto the rocket that was set to launch a love heart into the sky.
The dad-of-two hadn't realised the rocket was missing its fuse, which caused the firework to instantly detonate while Robert was at arm's length away.
The 6ft 5in landscape gardener was launched 10ft across the carpark and was instantly knocked unconscious.
Robert was rushed to Darlington Memorial Hospital in Darlington, County Durham, with severe injuries to his right eyeball that had split open due to the force of the blast.
The dad, who also suffered cuts to his ear, forehead and cheek, said doctors told him the explosion had 'moved his brain' - leaving him with short-term memory loss.
Robert, who was unable to work for six months while recovering, said the incident put him off attending firework shows for life.
Now, Robert is urging others to never light fireworks themselves after one nearly took his life during the incident in September 2024.
Robert, from Darlington, County Durham, said: "I thought 'my niece loves fireworks so it'll be a nice surprise for her at the end of the night'.
"The first lot of fireworks went off perfectly. I pulled the plastic sleeve off the rocket firework, leaned over the fence to light it and there was no fuse there. It was just an instant detonator.
"I was standing arm's length away. I didn't realise there wasn't a fuse until it was lit.
"All I heard was a hiss. My family told me it was like something out of a horror movie.
"I'm 6ft 5in and weigh 20 stone. I'm not a small man and the blast flung me 10ft across the carpark. I was out cold, everything was blurry."
Robert was rushed to hospital where doctors treated damage to his right eye caused by the firework splitting his eyeball open, leaving him millimetres from death.
Robert said: "My right eyeball literally split open, detached from the retina and blew the retina, pupil and iris back over.
"If I hadn't gone to the hospital I would've been blinded. I've lost the corner of my iris, just under a quarter of my eye was split open.
"If part of the blast had gone into my left eye, I would've been dead. I was about 50mm from death.
"Now I have to wear glasses and I didn't wear them before.
"My ear, forehead and cheek all had cuts. I had a hole in my right leg so I have a scar there now.
"The blast moved the course of my brain and it's pushing on the front left side where your memory is. It's affected my memory.
"They told me in hospital that I will start forgetting things."
Despite feeling lucky to be alive, Robert said he won't ever attend a firework show again.
Robert said: "I'm so lucky to see my kids grow up.
"I will not go or listen to fireworks ever again in my life, I loved fireworks growing up.
"When it's Bonfire Night, I watch my iPad with headphones on.
"My advice is to not buy them, go and watch them. It doesn't matter if you buy them from a proper shop, accidents can happen.
"If they're not done by fully-trained people then accidents like this can happen."
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