This is the moment a manhole cover is sent flying into the branches of a tree after a cheeky Chinese boy drops firecrackers into the sewer and sets off a huge blast.

The incident was filmed in the city of Hefei in the Chinese province of Anhui on 15th January.

According to the news site Sina, a group of boys was playing basketball in a private complex in the area of Xiangshan after breaking through a wire fence to get in.

While playing on the basketball court, one lad decided to drop some firecrackers down the manhole.

The bangers sparked a huge blast that sent the manhole cover flying into the air at a height of around three metres (10 feet), according to Sina.

In the footage, the manhole cover is seen flying into the branches of a tree after the boy drops the firecrackers down the manhole.

The group then runs off while smoke continues to bellow from the hole in the ground.

The management company of the private complex said on 19th January that the boys broke into the premises through a wire fence and fled after sparking the explosion.

They said the police arrived on the scene to start an investigation and that the basketball court is still out of use for the time being.

The management company also said that no one was injured in the incident, but the window of a nearby parked car was smashed.