Teenager blinded by firework calls for public sale ban

A teenager blinded by a firework on Bonfire Night has called for a ban on them being sold to the public.

Tom Parnaby was 18 when he and a friend were badly injured in the accident on 5 November 2025.

He is now campaigning for more controlled firework displays and tighter regulations on sales.

Tom, who has since become a father for the first time, said despite what happened to him he does not hate fireworks, but thinks the "public sale of them is crazy".

Tom suffered injuries to his face leading to him losing his sight during an incident with friends on the beach in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

The teenager said focusing on the baby daughter who he would never be able to see had helped him pull through.

"I am just grateful to have her with me," he said.

"It is a lot easier to focus on what's coming than what's behind with her there."

Looking back to the accident, Tom's mother Danni said it was "such a horrific time for all of us".

"There was a period where I thought we're probably not going to get him through this," she said.

But she paid tribute to her son's resilience and determination, which has kept them both going.

"Sometimes I still look at him and think, 'how has he done this?'. How has he not just crumbled? I am just in awe of him."

Now, less than a year after losing his sight, Tom is already preparing to run 2027's London Marathon - with his mother as his guide.

Recalling the moment when it was brought up, Tom said: "I was in active recovery. I was in the car and had not been out of the house in weeks. And then she [Danni] just dropped it on me in the car."

The pair will be raising money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), a charity which Tom said had been "absolutely amazing".

"At the start of my accident I didn't really have much help because I did not know where to go."

They contacted the RNIB for some mental health support and Tom said "in the space of a week I think I got given eight weeks of therapy."

He said he wants to fundraise to raise more awareness that there "there is help out there" for people who need the help and support.