A father whose child was burnt when firecrackers in his pocket went off after a slight knock has given parents plenty to think about. 

Etienne Schembri posted two photos to Facebook of the burns his son had suffered as a result of the accident. The post has already been shared over 550 times. 

Mr Schembri's post. Image: Facebook

He explained that his son had bought some firecrackers last Saturday and kept them in his pocket. He then went on to play with some friends, only to come close to a near-tragedy when a knock caused all the firecrackers to explode, all at once. 

"They burnt his trousers, and even worse, his leg. The accident could have been far worse if he had kept them in his shirt pocket and ended up burning his face and eyes," the father wrote.  

He ended his post with a rhetorical question. "When will we have people responsible for keeping an eye on the things people are selling our children as toys?"

Firecrackers, which originated in China, date back to 200 BC. Originally made of bamboo, modern-day variations use variations of cardboard or paper to tightly pack the flash powder responsible for firecrackers' distinctive bang. 

The second photo Mr Schembri posted. Photo: Facebook