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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Lucy Thornton & Kelly-Ann Mills

Boy, 17, dies after 'jumping over fence into greenhouse' as yobs launch fireworks

The teenager who died after falling through a greenhouse roof on Bonfire Night has been named as Qais Muhammad.

The 17-year-old died after a gang of around 50 yobs started throwing fireworks across a residential street in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

Two police vans arrived and around 20 officers in riot gear and with riot shields confronted the youths.

It is thought Qais fled into a property and climbed a 6ft wooden fence, not realising there was a greenhouse on the other side.

Locals said he crashed through the glass and was left seriously injured.

He was rushed to hospital but, despite the best efforts of medics, sadly could not be saved.

Fireworks went off in the street (YORKSHIRE LIVE)

A notice posted to the Janaza Announcements page on Facebook has now named the teenager as Qais Muhammad.

Terrified residents had called police after the mob, who were not local to the area, gathered in the road.

They lit a bonfire and began launching rockets and throwing fireworks in the residential street from around 6.45pm.

This morning, discarded laughing gas canisters and spent multi-shot firework casing - bearing skull and cross bones images and called ‘Dum Bum’ and ‘Big Boom’ - littered the grass verge.

A police cordon remains in place at the house where Qais died.

Local Sadaqat Hussain, 37, said: ”These boys were not from this area, and were causing a nuisance.

Scenes on the residential street last night (YORKSHIRE LIVE)

“They were throwing all kinds of fireworks from about 6.45pm onwards.

“It was scaring many people on the street and the police were called. Two police vans turned up and about 20 officers in riot gear and with riot shields turned up.

“The gang of lads then started throwing the fireworks at the police officers and the police vans. It was very scary and like it was pure chaos.”

At one point the police attempted to disperse the group.

Mr Hussain said: ”I didn’t see it, but we know that one of the group ran away into a garden and after claiming a wooden fence landed on a greenhouse.

“He has then cut his chest on the broken glass and has bled to death. Two ambulances turned up, but there was nothing they could do for him. He had passed away.”

Another resident Waqas Mohammed, 53, said: ”It is very shocking and very sad. The boys who were throwing the fireworks were not from this street.

West Yorkshire Police officers at the scene in Halifax (MEN Media)

“They were here to cause trouble and maybe try and cause a confrontation with police.

“My neighbour was out and had not had her lights on. She was terrified the lads might put a firework through her letterbox, and asked her teenage son, who was at a party, to come home and look after her house.

“Police did not let him through at first because they didn’t believe he lived on the street, but he was let through.”

Another local added: ”I don’t know why this street was picked by this group of lads. It must have been organised for so many to turn up. They were not from around here."

West Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), as officers had been called to the street to deal with a fireworks incident before Qais was found seriously injured.

A force spokeswoman said: "Police were contacted by the ambulance service shortly before 8:15pm yesterday evening (Saturday, November 5) following reports of an injured male in the garden of a property on Vickerman Street, Halifax.

"The 17-year-old male was taken to hospital where, sadly, he died of his injuries.

"A scene is currently on in the area as officers establish the full facts of what has happened.

"The matter has been reported to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) as police were called to the vicinity due to a report of fireworks being set off prior to the incident."

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