SPECIALIST teams were yesterday continuing to search a Southampton home where a man was left injured by homemade firework.

A 20-year-old was undergoing specialist treatment for his injuries after the firework exploded in his hand.

He was taken to hospital with “severe” burns after the explosion at a house in Silverdale Road.

The Army bomb squad and specialist police forensics officers sealed off the otherwise quiet residential street following the explosion.

After paramedics took the casualty to hospital, officers began a search of the terraced property to make sure there were no other devices at the address which could potentially pose a risk to the public.

The drama unfolded shortly after 7.15pm on Friday when a South Central Ambulance crew was called to the property near the city centre.

The man, who is understood to be a university student, was rushed to Southampton General Hospital for treatment for “severe hand injuries” before being taken to Odstock burns unit near Salisbury for specialist treatment.

Police officers and the Royal Logistics Corps' bomb disposal team then swooped on the address at about 9.30pm to search the property.

Daily Echo:

An Army bomb disposal expert was seen going into the address at about 1am on Saturday, while white-suited forensics officers were seen going in and out of the property throughout the weekend.

Hampshire Constabulary have confirmed they are not treating it as being linked to any terrorist act, with the explosion understood to be an accident.

A police spokesman said the search was taking place “to ensure that there is nothing inside the property that poses any further risk to the public.”

The man's family are understood to be flying to the UK from Italy where the student is from, to be with him while he recovers at Odstock.

Residents spoke to the Daily Echo about their shock at seeing such a large police and Army operation taking place in the early hours on the street outside their homes.

The man, who asked not to be named, said: “It was a shock, you don't expect to see the bomb squad out of the front window."

Bailey Woodhans, a 19-year-old Southampton Solent University student who lives next door, said: “It was a bit unexpected to see so many police turn up, it was a bit of a shock.

“It sounds like it was a bit of a science experiment that went wrong.

“I hope he recovers well from it.”