Shocking footage shows the moment a car was engulfed in a fireball after a reckless stranger threw a firework down a quiet residential street in High Wycombe.

The terrifying incident happened in Upper Green Street at around 7.45pm on Bonfire Night and was caught on CCTV.

Around eight seconds into the video, a firework can be seen flying down the road before coming to stop close to a car.

It then exploded into what the car’s owner, Faisal Mahmood, thought at the time was a “huge fireball”.

Mr Mahmood, 31, was at home when he “heard a bang” and looked out to see smoke surrounding his car.

He said: “I was curious so I looked outside. When I saw the smoke I came running out and I just couldn’t believe what I saw. It is a quiet residential area and nothing like this has every happened before.”

Mr Mahmood said he could see no one else around at the time but reported the incident to police, who say it will be treated as anti-social behaviour.

Fortunately, his car – a Vauxhall Vectra – was not damaged by the firework, but he fears that it could have been much worse if there had been passers-by walking in the street at the time.

He said: “I am really upset. Why would someone do this? Cars and fireworks just cannot mix. When I looked at the car and there was no damage I thought the angels must have been looking down on me.

“Whoever did this needs to come forward and own up to what they have done because this kind of behaviour is not acceptable.

“It was like a huge fireball. It is lucky that there was no one around because someone could have been seriously injured.

“I am really annoyed. If this sort of thing happens again, it could be fatal.”