MELBOURNE soccer fans are being urged to turn in one of their own after a flare set off at a key game struck two little girls, causing painful burns.
Police say no one has come forward to admit to accidentally injuring the two girls, aged 10 and 12, more than a week ago during the Victorian Premier League grand final match.
Several flares were lit in the southern seating area of AAMI Park just after 7pm (AEDT) on October 14 when the Dandenong Thunder scored the game-winning goal against the Oakleigh Cannons.
Detective Senior Constable Jens Bertelsen said one of the flares shot from a flare gun narrowly avoided burning a little girl's eye when it ricocheted off a stadium sign.
Both injured girls had to be taken to hospital.
"It's obviously a really dangerous thing to do, to discharge a flare like that," he told reporters on Tuesday.
"They burn really hot, they're hard to put out and the injuries could have been a great deal worse."
But supporters have not yet revealed who lit the flare despite the club asking for help on social media.
"We believe that members of the supporter base know who discharged the flare," Det Sen Const Bertelsen said.
"We'd like the Dandenong Thunder supporter base to identify these people to us through Crime Stoppers ... so it doesn't happen again and we can keep soccer family friendly."
Police say the incident is rare and don't expect flare guns to start showing up more frequently at future soccer matches.
Whoever lit the flare faces possible criminal charges.


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/vic-police-want-flare-launcher/story-e6frfku9-1226501274499#ixzz2A6EgrkEU