A DAD whose son was almost injured by a firework thrown by teenagers has started a petition to implement CCTV in the area of the incident.

Samuel Alty's son and his friend went to Walney Park to play football. But a short while later, he received a phone call from his son saying that a group of teenagers had been 'bullying and threatening them’.

Mr Alty and the other child's dad went to the park to take their children home when the group – believed to be between the ages of 11 and 17 - started 'hurling abuse.'

Shortly after this incident, the teenagers lit fireworks and threw them at his son and his friend, narrowly missing them by five feet when it exploded.

Following the incident on Monday, October 23, Mr Alty is appealing to the council for a CCTV to be implemented on Walney Island Park for the 'safety' of children.

He said: "To have CCTV implemented would give us peace of mind and the extra security knowing they are being watched and hopefully prevent teenagers from gathering in large numbers at a children's playground.

"Why should our children be too scared to play at a park designed for children? Why should they feel like they can't go and play with their friends?

"Please if your child plays at the local park and you want them to be safe, then please sign the petition and have the council implement CCTV for our children."

The petition launched on October 24 through Change.org already counts with 77 signatures.

A spokesperson for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “This sounds like an alarming incident, and we hope that the young boy and his friend are okay.

“Incidents like this should be reported to police and the council will always look to work alongside police and other organisations to identify the root causes of any anti-social behaviour in an area and take appropriate steps to prevent it.

“A request for installation of CCTV would need to ensure that any proposal would be in line with the legal requirements of the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).’’

To sign the Samuel Alty's petition, visit the link here.