Leslie Andrews and his wife Ruth give us a stark reminder about firework dangers.

Six years ago Leslie, 54, suffered a horrific injury when a firework exploded in his face.

Leslie, a farmer from County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, was holding a family firework display to celebrate Halloween in October 2003.

Leslie says: "I dug out a cigarette lighter to light the first of the big rockets I'd planted in the ground. But when I went to ignite the flame I thought the flame on the lighter had been blown out so I stooped down to light it again. As I bent down, the rocket went off in my face."

The next thing Leslie was aware of was his brother, Kenneth, shouting for someone to get an ambulance because he'd been badly hurt.

Once at the hospital, Leslie was put on a life support machine as doctors were concerned about the injury being so close to his windpipe and the risk of swelling.

Two days later, Leslie was transferred to intensive care at Ulster hospital in Belfast as they had a plastics unit so doctors could start reconstructing Leslie's face.

Leslie had a tracheotomy tube down his throat and a feeding tube up his nose so he couldn't talk and had to write everything down. His jaw was broken so during one operation doctors reset his jaw, inserted titanium plates around his right eye where the bones had been shattered and took skin from Leslie's thigh to graft over the hole in his face.

Leslie says: "I don't want to spoil firework night for anyone. But accidents do happen and I would urge people to do two things. Firstly use a long taper when lighting fireworks. Secondly, if a firework doesn't light first time, forget about it and never go back."

Here are our top tips to stay safe this 5th November:

• Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114, follow their instructions and keep them in a closed box.
• Don't drink alcohol if setting off fireworks.
• Light at arm's length, using a taper and stand well back.
• Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn't gone off, it could still explode.
• Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
• Always supervise children around fireworks.
• Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves, never give sparklers to a child under five.
• Keep pets indoors.