A WOMAN and her pets were lucky to escape serious injury when a giant firework crashed into her back garden.

Caroline Harding, aged 35, discovered the remains of the three-foot rocket after it had ripped through the wire on her cat run on Friday night.

Luckily, the costume-maker's two pets had been kept in her house in Blackthorn Road, Astwood, that night because of loud bangs from other fireworks.

But Miss Harding said the rocket must have been extremely powerful to break through the run and would have injured or even killed her animals if they had been in it that night.

"I didn't actually hear the rocket come into the garden because there were so many almighty bangs that night.

"But I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the huge thing that had landed in my garden. There is no way me or my cats would have escaped with just a scratch if it had hit us.

"I'm just glad it didn't fly through my window. It is just so irresponsible.

"This firework was huge, not something you could buy at the supermarket or local shop," she added.