More than 6 in 10 parents take their kids to Bonfire Night events but have never talked to them about firework safety

MORE than six in 10 parents plan to take their children to Bonfire Night events this weekend – but have never talked to them about being safe near fireworks and sparklers.

Research of 1,000 mums and dads of kids aged 0 to 7 revealed 70 per cent will be attending organised events, while 26 per cent will set off their own fireworks.

Although the research showed teaching children about fire safety is a priority for 81 per cent, many don’t know where to find child-friendly information to help educate them.

And 76 per cent hope someone else will tell them how far back to stand from bonfires and 37 per cent how to hold a sparkler.

The research was commissioned by the Fireman Sam brand, which has partnered with the Child Accident Prevention Trust to produce a set of safety tips ahead of the night to help get people switched on to safety.

Jon Spalding, Mattel's head of consumer products UK & hard lines, EMEA, said: “Bonfire Night can be a spectacular event for families to enjoy together, but they also provide significant safety risks.

“We know that discussing fire safety is a huge priority for parents, but many don’t know where to access trusted information, so we hope the release of our tips with CAPT will help solve this, keeping everyone safe and having fun this 5th November.”

It also emerged 29 per cent have been concerned about their child’s safety at an official event, while 35 per cent have been worried due to the lack of precautions at an event hosted at someone’s house.

Accidents with sparklers, burns from fireworks and bonfires, and road incidents were parent’s top concerns on Guy Fawkes Night, and 24 per cent have experienced an accident or injury at such an event.

A third of parents (29 per cent) are not confident their child would know how to avoid an accident with fire on Bonfire Night.

And 61 per cent said their children would not know to 'stop, drop and roll' if their clothes or costumes caught on fire.

While almost a quarter (24 per cent) wouldn’t feel confident themselves in how to react to such a happening.

One in six believe it to be difficult to find child-friendly safety information or educational materials, according to the research carried out via OnePoll.

However, nearly half (48 per cent) believe their child would know to call emergency services were there a fire issue.

Nearly all parents (94 per cent) agreed it is important that children’s characters such as those on Fireman Sam TV show talk to children about Bonfire Night safety.

Katrina Phillips, CAPT’s chief executive, said: “Bonfire Night is magical but with sparklers burning 16 times hotter than your kettle, they can badly burn a child.

“Many parents aren’t clear what to tell their children about staying safe on Bonfire Night or what to do if the worst happens.

"That’s why we’ve partnered with Fireman Sam to create some essential family safety tips to keep little ones safe.”

The fourteenth series of Fireman Sam, which airs from Tuesday 1st November on Cartoonito teaches children important safety messages.