A FIREWORK blasted through a pensioner's window late at night and started a fire in what has been described as a "deplorable" and "irresponsible" incident.

A display-style rocket smashed through a window at the back of 72-year-old Muriel Hunt's home in Kidderminster at about 11pm on Monday.

Mrs Hunt was shaken by the force of the blast and was led to safety by quick-thinking neighbours, who put out the blaze before it could seize control of the house.

A leading firefighter said the rocket, which broke through double glazing, could have caused "a very serious house fire".

Mrs Hunt said: "I was half asleep and I heard this terrific bang and I went downstairs and looked around but I could see nothing.

"I thought I would have a look in the back room and there was the window broken and the curtains, everything, was on fire. It was quite a shock."

Neighbour, Kevin Hill, said he met Mrs Hunt at her front door after his wife spotted smoke billowing from the house, in the Comberton area of Kidderminster.

He ran upstairs with another resident and put out the fire, in the spare room, by stamping on it and covering it with wet towels. The room was heavily damaged by smoke.

He said: "The room was thick with smoke. We should have got out but we had to do something, we couldn't let the house go up in smoke.

"I think it is deplorable. Muriel is a lovely old lady and doesn't need this sort of thing."

It is unknown whether the rocket - anchored by a three-foot long stick - was fired deliberately at the house.

Mrs Hunt's daughter, Jan Colley, said: "It was awful. If it hadn't been for the neighbours then the damage would have been much worse.

"It was irresponsible and anti-social. The rocket acted like a missile."

Two appliances from Kidderminster Fire Station attended the scene. Station commander David Williams said: "It could have been a very serious house fire. For such an irresponsible act to occur is both disappointing and concerning."

PC Phil Green of Kidderminster Police said: "We take incidents like this extremely seriously and appeal to people to be sensible in the run-up to November 5."