Northamptonshire man killed in Thailand by firework exploding in his face

A man from Corby has died in Thailand after a firework reportedly exploded in his face during New Year's Eve celebrations.

Local police said Gary McLaren, 50, was killed when a firework he was trying to light exploded during a visit to the resort town of Pattaya.

He died at the scene shortly after midnight, according to reports.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was supporting the family.

Mr McLaren's friends were seen crying at the scene, where a large firework was found and taken for evidence, the Bangkok Post reported.

According to the Press Association, Mr McLaren had visited Thailand before and had arrived a few days prior to New Year's Eve.

He worked within MotoGP, for the International Road-Racing Teams Association (IRTA), which represents the interests of all the teams involved in the sport.

He had previously worked at Team Suzuki Ecstar as a Data Acquisition Engineer

They tweeted: "We are very shocked and sad to learn of the death of Gary McLaren.

"Gary worked at Suzuki for 11 years, and remained a good friend to us all while he continued working in the paddock for IRTA. Our thoughts with his loved ones, we’ll really miss him."