THIS is the shocking moment a hooded man with a homemade rocket launcher shot fireworks at people in a busy city centre.
The yob was seen wielding the bazooka in Birmingham on Bonfire Night.
Wearing a “Darth Vader cape”, the thug launched around 50 fireworks sparking scenes of carnage in the Aston area.
Footage shows revellers sprinting for cover as torrents of sparks erupted from the makeshift launcher.
The man appeared to wield the launcher indiscriminately, pointing it in all directions.
One local said: “Idiots. Where do you even get a firework rocket launcher. He’s even dressed like Darth Vader.”
Another Brummie said: “These firework wars are happening each year now.
“They try to outdo each other – someone is going to end up seriously hurt or dead.”
Posting on social media, a third local said: “Birmingham is the UK Gotham.”
Three teenage boys aged 17, 18, and 19 were arrested in Birmingham over the Bonfire Night chaos.
Another man was arrested on Halloween on suspicion of selling fireworks with an expired storage licence from the back of his van.
West Midlands Police said: “We have made arrests and seized illegal fireworks after further disorder in Birmingham city centre.
“Groups launched fireworks in the street and from buildings, with some aiming towards police officers and police vehicles.
“Officers were stationed around Bagot Street and Staniforth Street and a dispersal order was introduced.
“We won’t tolerate such appalling behaviour which we know is frightening for people and puts them at risk of harm.
“We have an investigation team reviewing footage and we will seek to prosecute anyone involved.
“We’ll have another tough focused policing operation in place today, and over the coming days, to keep our communities safe.”
NIGHT OF CARNAGE
Chaos erupted across the UK on Bonfire Night with yobs hurling fireworks at riot cops in Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow.
In Manchester, shocking footage showed louts making barricades from mattresses and pallets in clashes with police.
Youths in the city started an illegal bonfire with waste and a motorbike, torched a car and hurled fireworks at emergency services.
Three teen males, aged between 16 and 18, were arrested on suspicion of causing violent disorder.
One bizarre scene from Edinburgh showed a yob putting a firework in his mouth.
He used his jaw to aim it at the sky while an onlooker was heard shouting: “Go on.”
But an enormous shower of sparks suddenly erupted into the man’s face.
The exploding firework flew from the man’s mouth into the ground as onlookers screamed.
FIRE AND FURY
Also in Edinburgh, riot cops and a police chopper descended on a housing estate after yobs in Niddrie launched fireworks at motors and set wheelie bins ablaze.
Our footage from the scene showed riot cops chasing down dozens of youngsters.
Some innocent bystanders were also caught up in the mayhem as thugs launched bricks at police and set fire to more wheelie bins.
MP for Edinburgh Ian Murray described the scenes as “disgraceful and unacceptable” amid further disorder in the Moredun and Gracemount areas of the city.
The Guy Fawkes disorder comes just days after Halloween fireworks sparked mayhem in the same community.
Chief Superintendent David Robertson vowed to leave “no stone unturned” to find those responsible for the firework-related violence in Niddrie and elsewhere.
One female officer was injured when the window of the vehicle she was in was smashed by a brick and local buses were also pelted with projectiles, police said.
A 14-year-old boy has been arrested and charged over alleged fireworks offences.
