A rogue firework spiralled into a father-of-two and exploded in a ball of flame setting him on fire, a Court heard.

Andrew Parkin had to tear at his clothes as other spectators at the pub firework display threw beer at him to try to douse the flames, Bingley magistrates were told.

Landlord Anthony Lumb, pictured, of the Salthorn pub, Oakenshaw, Bradford, denies two charges of breaching health and safety laws when he appeared before Bingley Magistrates Court yesterday.

Lumb, 31, of Wakefield Road, Drighlington, organised the display and bonfire in the car park on the opposite side of the road to the pub and was responsible for setting off fireworks on Bonfire Night in 1999.

The court heard how three 'blue balls of flame' shot off from the bonfire at the Cleckheaton Road pub and headed straight for Mr Parkin, from Oakenshaw, who had been enjoying the show with his partner and two sons.

Mr Parkin told magistrates: "I was facing the firework display and I saw three blue balls of flame coming from the bonfire over by the car park.

"The first one exploded, I'm not sure what happened to the second one and the third one came directly to me and I just managed to turn in time when it exploded.

"There was an almighty bang and I starting to feel a searing pain as it burnt through my tracksuit bottoms. I thought I was on fire and I started dancing around trying to get my trousers down.

"A couple of people threw beer at me so my trousers must have been on fire."

He said the firework had arched round towards the crowd from the direction of where the fireworks were being set off by Mr Lumb.

Mr Parkin said he went to the back of the pub where he was told a woman would be able to give him treatment but she was unable to find a first aid kit and he decided to go to hospital.

Lisa Wilson who had also been hit said nobody brought a first aid kit and she had bandaged her leg with a wet pillow case before going to hospital.

Prosecuting for Bradford Council Richard Wilson said the display had posed a safety risk to the crowd, road users, and pedestrians on the nearby footpath. He said there were no barriers or marshals or first aid kit on hand.

"The distances between the firework display compared in relation to the public were too close. The arrangement he made in totality was inadequate to protect the public from risk."

Nick Dry, representing Mr Lumb, said neither of the injured people had reasonable cause for concern about safety before the accident had happened.

In cross examination he questioned whether the witnesses' memory of events of the incident, 18 months ago, could still be clear.

The case continues