This is the terrifying moment when a bonfire society member was seriously injured by a firework.

Video footage shows the 21-year-old being blasted in the chest before falling to the ground as marshals ran to his aid.

The victim, who has only been named as “Dave” by friends, was yesterday still recovering in intensive care at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

Tom Blamire, who took the video, said a large firework exploded at ground level, creating a large hemisphere of fire on the ground, which looked like an igloo.

A figure ran out of the smoke, at which point he started filming.

He said: "To the right of the 'igloo' is a small black dot, the man I had seen running from the first explosion."

An investigation by Sussex Police, Lewes District Council and the Health and Safety Executive has been launched into the events leading up to the incident at Lewes Bonfire on Friday November 5.