THE number of people treated in Greater Glasgow on Bonfire Night for firework injuries more than tripled this year. 

Doctors have now demanded a ban on the sale of fireworks after 27 people were treated for injuries in hospital in Greater Glasgow and Clyde - up from eight last year.

That figure is the highest number of injuries recorded since 2008.

They were compiled by burns and plastic surgery registrar Eleanor Robertson, who last year co-authored a report into these types of cases across Scotland. 

She told the Sunday Post: “This year in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area we have had 27 attendances for treatment to firework injuries. 

"This is the most we have had since 2008.

"We feared this was going to be a bad year for more serious burns injuries, serious incidents, attacks on firefighters and police and distress to animals, and we got a full house.

"Children in Edinburgh were seriously burned after finding a box of fireworks, two houses were badly damaged by fire in North Lanarkshire and an area at Arthur’s Seat in

Edinburgh was set alight. Firefighters were attacked by fireworks as they attended out-of-control fires.

“There is a real opportunity to make a legislative difference if we seize the opportunity and there is support in both the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament.”

On November 5 the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 1193 call-outs, its highest number of Bonfire Night incidents since its formation in 2013.

And police across Scotland received almost 10,000 calls on Bonfire Night, with the number of 999 calls up by a third on last year’s figure. 

A Scottish animal helpline revealed it dealt with three times as many calls as it usually does from the owners of terrified pets.

Senior plastic surgeon David McGill, the Scottish Burns Network clinical lead, also told the paper: “The feedback is A&E units across Scotland have been busier. 

"Feedback from colleagues in the east of Scotland reveals a patient with a serious facial injury caused by fireworks. 

"In our plastic surgery unit we have recently treated patients, one with life-changing injuries to their hand and another with serious arm burns.

"It is important to seek a way to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.”

Last October, the Scottish Government published its Firework Action Plan, to promote the safe use of fireworks in Scotland, after almost 90% of 16,000 respondents to a public consultation backed a ban on sales. But it cannot enforce an outright ban because this power is reserved to Westminster.

As told previously in the Glasgow Times, the independent Firework Review Group submitted a report to the Scottish Government last month calling for changes, including restrictions on the times of day fireworks can be sold, and times they can be set off.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “We are determined to keep Scotland’s communities safe from the harmful use of fireworks and the group’s findings will help us achieve that.

"I will now explore how these recommendations can be implemented, within the powers available to Parliament.”

A spokeswoman for the UK Government said: “We want the public to enjoy fireworks, but this should be done in a safe way.

"This is why we have robust laws in place controlling the sale, purchase and use of fireworks, to promote their responsible use.”