A FEMALE shop assistant was injured in a firework incident at a shop in Scholemoor on Halloween.

She received a head injury when a group of masked youths threw the fireworks in the Premier convenience store on Scholemoor Lane at about 8pm on Wednesday.

She is believed to have received burns in the terrifying incident.

Customers in the shop at the time included young children.

Local residents reported that a group had been roaming the Scholemoor and Lidget Green areas in purge masks.

One resident commented: “Just scary that there is so many young children out trick or treating and heard on a few occasions that there has been some near misses with fireworks and young kids.”

He said similar incidents had been occurring all around Lidget Green, in pubs, in shops and in bookmakers.

A police spokesman said the shop assistant’s injuries were believed to be "slight" and she was given treatment at the scene.

The suspects are believed to have run off towards Scholemoor Cemetery. Inquiries are continuing and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 1943 of October 31.

The incident came on a Halloween night which saw the West Yorkshire Police Control Centre handle hundreds of more calls than usual.

A total of 1,055 999 calls were received between 5pm and 11pm with 1,924 calls received in total on October 31. It said they were mainly due to anti-social behaviour increasing as a result of Halloween and call demand rising especially after dark.

To put that in perspective, it said 1,212 calls were received on the previous Wednesday and 351 more 999 calls than last year’s Halloween.

It reported its second highest demand this year after July 7 when England played Sweden in the World Cup and 2,307 calls were received.

The public were thanked by police for working with them to ensure that a largely safe and enjoyable Halloween was celebrated across West Yorkshire.

Tom Donohoe, senior contact manager for West Yorkshire Police’s Customer Contact Centre, said: “We took over 5,000 contacts in total yesterday and had to deal with a large number of calls many being nuisance and anti-social behaviour calls from 4pm onwards and right through into the early hours, only easing up after 4am this morning."

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Kingsman said: "Thankfully, while we did see some isolated incidents of anti-social behaviour, it would appear that the vast majority of people out celebrating Halloween did so considerately and safely."

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also had a steady night attending 65 incidents.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dave Walton said: "Halloween was a busy yet steady night for our crews across the brigade. We attended numerous deliberately set nuisance fires, and unfortunately, at a couple of these we experienced attacks on our crews from a mindless few. Luckily no one was injured although there was some damage caused to the bodywork of a fire engine."