A COUPLE who went to watch a firework display on Weston s seafront ended up having to shelter from falling ash and debris.

A COUPLE who went to watch a firework display on Weston's seafront ended up having to shelter from falling ash and debris.

Bob and Stella Paynter, of Manilla Crescent,Weston, sat in the outside area of Nick's bar in Knightstone Road to witness Saturday's display, which was put on to start off carnival celebrations.

However, their evening was ruined when 52-year-old Stella was hit in the eye by a piece of falling firework debris, which was around two inches long.

Bob said: "More or less straight after the first fireworks went off we noticed that a lot of the ash from them was being blown in shore and was falling on us and other people nearby.

"I felt something hit me on the shoulder, which had hit Stella first. When I looked around she was holding her eye.

"She was in quite a bit of pain and her eye was watering for quite a while after it happened."

Bob said that after the incident they moved under the bar's canopy.

The 52-year-old added: "There was so much debris falling on the canopy, which meant we could not look out and see the rest of the display.

"I can't believe the event wasn't cancelled because of the direction of the wind.

"The people right on the seafront must have been getting it a lot worse."

A North Somerset spokesman said: "Risk assessments were carried out prior to the event and conditions were monitored during the display.

"All these met the safety criteria and therefore conditions were suitable for the event to take place.