A MAN from Takeley has been left requiring skin grafts to his hand after lighting a faulty firework on Saturday night. David Brown, from Brewers End, was hosting a fireworks event for friends at his scaffolding company s yard in Bonningtons Hall Farm, Tak

A MAN from Takeley has been left requiring skin grafts to his hand after lighting a faulty firework on Saturday night.

David Brown, from Brewers End, was hosting a fireworks event for friends at his scaffolding company's yard in Bonningtons Hall Farm, Takeley, when the accident happened.

"I'd taken a lot of time and effort to make sure that everything was done safely. I lit the fuse to one of the fireworks and it exploded instantly. I was in agony," he said.

A next door neighbour took him into his house while friends called an ambulance.

A rapid response car was sent to the scene where a paramedic treated his burns before taking him to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow.

While there, he received further treatment for the burns and was given injections.

"I have to go to hospital every two days to have my dressings changed and so the doctors can keep an eye on the injury," said Mr Brown.

"Today they told me I have to have a skin graft.

"They've cut all of the skin off the hand but they can't do the operation until about a month's time because they have to wait for some of the tissue to heal."

Mr Brown runs his own scaffolding company and can't work properly at the moment because of the injury.

Luckily he has employees who can carry on the work while he is confined to office duties.

He doesn't think he'll be able to work for at least a month and is having to take 500 milligram pain killers to dull the pain.

"I'm very angry and upset about what has happened," he said.

"I'm seeking legal advice and they'll be hearing from me soon."

According to the East of England Ambulance Service, this was the only fireworks-related injury in Essex that it was called out to over the weekend.