Families have revealed how close they came to disaster after yobs targeted homes in west Cumbria.

Cumbria Police responded to reports of fireworks being thrown from a bridge on Distington Bypass on Monday night, onto cars below.

A spokesman for Cumbria Police said: “Police were called at about 6.15pm to the report of anti-social behaviour, following reports of youths throwing fireworks of the bridge on the A595 near to the central garage.

“Officers attended and no youths were located in the area.

“No damage to vehicles have been reported.”

In a post on Facebook, victim Patricia Iddison Bailey said: “After driving home from a 10 hour shift on Distington Bypass, someone dropped from a bridge an active firework, right onto my car when driving at 65 mph.”

On Saturday October 26, Drew Ashton Moore of Windsor Road, Westfield, had a firework thrown through her letterbox - while her two year-old was playing nearby.

“I heard the letterbox going but I thought it was the wind,” she recalled. “The firework shot left up the stairs.”

Miss Moore said that if the firework had veered to the right instead, then her son Parker would have been injured.

“I have been very lucky, it could have been a lot different.

“I phoned the police that night,” she continued, “and they said they have had a few reports around Westfield.”

Tracey Sharp, who lives near to Drew on Everest Mount, Westfield, had a firework thrown onto her property by youths.

She released CCTV footage of the gang igniting a firework in the street.

“It ricocheted off and went under the planters,” she explained.

“There has always been a lot of fireworks going off but never any incidents like that.”