The neighbour of a family almost killed when a lit firework was pushed through their letterbox has called for youths to cease reckless Halloween "pranks".

Patrick Neil had to shelter David Norbrook, his wife and two sons when their home in Ramsay Road, Headington, was devastated by a rocket on Halloween night last year.

The family of four was forced to live in rented accommodation for more than six months after the attack by Lewis Colwell, 18, of Downside Road, Risinghurst, and Jamie Matthews, 19, of Manor Farm Road, Horspath.

Now Mr Neil has called for youths in Oxford to consider the consequences before they think of committing similar serious crimes.

The 59-year-old said: "Fireworks are no different to knives. They are potentially very dangerous and if misused, will cause death.

"Everybody who has a firework in their hands needs to think 'what am I doing with this?' and 'what damage could I cause to myself and to someone else on the other end of it?'

"Some people walk up and down their street just wanting to cause damage because they think Halloween is an opportunity to do so. They need to be told this is not acceptable and to see clear consequences from the courts."

Colwell and Matthews, both former Wheatley Park School pupils, were given lengthy community service sentences at Oxford Crown Court earlier this year, but escaped jail after being convicted of reckless arson.

They were also ordered to pay the family £5,000 in compensation. Mr Neil described how the family escaped the wreckage of their home after the attack just before midnight on October 31.

The father-of-two said: "There was this explosion and I rushed out of the house in my dressing gown. When the family came running out of their house they looked like refugees from a war zone. The little children were shivering and shaking and they continued like that for a good hour afterwards.

"They were understandably terrified. They could have been killed. No-one should have to go through something like that.

"People feel threatened by Halloween because they think this is the time youths will throw things at their house.

"There are an enormous number of people who hide away and don't feel they can confront this. It shouldn't be like that."