YOBS threw fireworks towards a group of women as they took part in a midnight charity walk.
More than 200 women walked 13.2 miles through the streets of the borough in the early hours of Sunday morning to raise money for Bury Hospice. But as they were passing along Ainsworth Road, Radcliffe, around 1.15am, marshals noticed a group of 15 teenagers hurling fireworks.
No one was injured, but the incident was reported to the police.
It happened within two hours of a fire crew also being targeted by firework-throwing yobs. Sergeant Martin Coyne, from Radcliffe police station, said: "The women were doing a good thing by taking part in a walk for Bury Hospice and certainly didn't expect to have fireworks thrown towards them. There could have been a serious injury and it was very lucky that no one was hurt.
"Shops aren't supposed to start selling fireworks until October 15, so the person who sold them to these youths has done so illegally.
"We will be looking into the incidents and would appeal for anyone with information to get in touch."
Mervyn Reeves, the fundraising manager at Bury Hospice, said: "Two of the marshalls at the bottom of Ainsworth Road saw a gang of about 15 youths playing with fireworks and the police were called. As far as I am aware, no one except the marshalls was aware of the fireworks. It doesn't seem to have been anything to do with the walkers, but it was in the vicinity."
It is thought that the same group of youths were responsible for a similar incident two hours earlier, when a firework was put inside a postbox outside Water Lane Post Office, in Ainsworth Road.
A firework was thrown at firefighters from Whitefield who were called at 11.20pm to put out the blaze.
Watch Commander Steve Simpson said: "This is something that should not happen. We are there to do a job and help people, but unfortunately there is a mindless minority that make that difficult.
"People should not mess around with fireworks, but it is something we have to contend with every year. People who sell fireworks need to ask themselves if they are doing the right thing. At all times of the year we get people throwing things at us, but unfortunately these types of incidents are starting to get more frequent and are happening in areas where we wouldn't expect it to happen."
Anyone with information is asked to call Radcliffe Police Station on (0161) 856 8291 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1701427.0.firework_yobs_are_back_in_action.php
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