Youths who pushed a firework through a woman's door in Guiseley have been blamed for her death less than a week after the incident.

Marie Beard, 59, died on Sunday after a long illness - but a friend believes the attack caused her health to deteriorate.

Mrs Beard, who lived on her own in Tennyson Street, was helped out of her house after the explosion caused a fireball during the night on Monday, October 7.

A firework was pushed through Mrs Beard's letterbox and police believe that the device used was a home-made firework. Youths were seen running from the scene and police are still keen to talk to anyone with information.

Mrs Beard's friend, who did not want to be named for fear of being targeted herself, said: "This attack has just brought on Marie's illness and when I saw her just before she died she did not look well.

"Marie told me that she thought this was the last straw, and I know it had affected her, even though she said she was okay.

"This is just so sad because she was a lovely woman and the people who put the firework through her door deserve to be punished."

She added that people were worried about the threat of firework attacks across the whole of Wharfedale.

"It is absolutely terrible that Marie was picked out. She was friends with everyone and I really feel that she would still be here if this hadn't happened."

Although Otley coroner's officer Graham Lumley has said that her death was in no way linked to the firework incident, the friend disputes this.

Neighbourhood Watch Liai-son Officer at Weetwood Police, Peter Krushniak, said: "This is a sad turn of events and we are still appealing for anyone with information about the incident to contact us."

The news of Mrs Beard's death comes as Leeds and Bradford have both been highlighted as two of 12 hotspots for firework-related crimes.

New safety measures have come into force to target youths who play with fireworks.

The measures announced by Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson this week include a ban on air bombs.

The air bombs are a cheap and accessible firework that caused up to a fifth of all firework accidents last year.