A RUNNER was left ‘very shaken’ after his top was set on fire by a firework thrown at him from a passing car.

Hanno Nickau was out jogging with the Headington RoadRunners on Thursday night when he was struck in South Parks Road near Linacre College.

Quick thinking from his fellow runners prevented further injury but he warned other people to be vigilant.

The Oxford University lecturer said: “We were just regrouping in South Parks Road before the cycle path to Marston and I was hit.

“I am not sure what exactly it was, it came from behind me from the roadside and it burnt a whole about the size of a hand into my running top.

“I looked and saw the flame and saw a lot of my top missing.

“It left about a three inch burnt patch on my arm and I bled a bit.

“I was in shock for the rest of the evening.”

Dr Nickau, who has been running with the group for 16 years, said it seemed the firework had been thrown from a car as it came from the road and a vehicle was seen speeding off immediately after.

But neither he nor any of the other runners got a registration number or description of the car.

One of the other runners threw water over him to put out the flames and he did not require hospital treatment.

Dr Nickau said: “We were lucky in a way, it was lucky no one was hit in the face.

“It was not nice but it is probably only £50 for a new top.

“Obviously it is shocking when you are almost set on fire.”

The Headington resident said he could not find the firework after the incident and could find no trace of it this morning.

He added that he decided not to contact the police over the incident.