AN EARLY birthday present has left a little girl from Evesham heart broken after last weekend's fireworks damaged it.

Ashleigh Houghton of Laurel Avenue, Evesham was devastated on Sunday morning when she went out into her back garden to play on her trampoline only to find it ruined by fireworks and holes.

Ashleigh's mother, Lisa Houghton discovered the damage after her eight-year-old asked her to remove a firework left lying on the trampoline from Saturday night's celebrations.

Mrs Houghton said: "She's been going on about wanting a trampoline for ages so we decided to buy her one as an early birthday present. It only arrived on Saturday and fireworks let off in the surrounding gardens have left it completely unsafe for Ashleigh to use. I am in total shock to be honest, we've waited weeks for it, it only came last Saturday afternoon and by Sunday morning it was completely damaged. It's very unsafe for Ashleigh to use."

The eight-year-old who was due to celebrate her ninth birthday on Thursday, December 8 has been left distraught over the incident and her parents describe Ashleigh's state as being left irreconcilable.

"We found a tube, one of those that holds the firework in place before it shoots off once alight on the mat. There's loads of holes too made by fireworks bouncing off it which are the size of a fifty pence piece. I've never seen my daughter so upset, people must realise when they let off fireworks in their back gardens they should think about other people's belongings left in their gardens."

Mrs Houghton is waiting to hear from the trampoline company to find out whether Ashleigh's birthday present can be replaced.

The mother of the Bengeworth first school pupil has only this to say to residents: "Go to professional firework displays, they're safely carried out and it lowers the risk of damaging others goods".