January 22 2003, Bath Chronicle, Town council wants more restrictions on fireworks
Tighter controls could be put on the sale of fireworks in Nailsea.
New regulations came into force on January 1 banning air bombs and limiting the supply of noisy fireworks and small rockets.
But the proliferation of private and public firework parties all year round is causing concern to many local residents, Nailsea councillors heard this week.
Pensioner John Wood, of Taverner's Court, told the finance and general purposes committee noise pollution caused by fireworks was no longer restricted to special dates like New Year's Eve.
He said: "I think something should be done. It is alarming not only for OAPs but animals and small children.
"In Nailsea recently people have been setting them off at 3am."
Cllr Neil Middleton said: "I understand the concerns - would you like a law banning the setting off of fireworks after 10pm?
"We don't want to be killjoys and what we can do is pretty limited. However I would support a ban on their use after 10pm with exceptions like Guy Fawkes night." Cllr the Rev Brian Cave said: "People are not only letting off fireworks but marching along banging saucepans in the early hours."
Cllr Marston Dufty said: "We should support restrictions on the sale." The voluntary sales agreement between retailers on selling fireworks will be strengthened if a private members bill tabled by MP Bill Tynan is agreed by parliament.
He is supported by The Guide Dogs For The Blind Associations which says: "We are calling for an end to the disruption and distress caused to dogs and their owners by fireworks.
"Every year guide dogs and other working dogs are sedated, retrained, or in worst cases, retired after being traumatised by the irresponsible use of fireworks."
Councillor Liz Frappell said: "I have three dogs and every time fireworks are set off they are traumatised." On Friday, February 28, Mr Tynan's bill receives a second hearing in the House of Commons. It wants to restrict the noise levels, sale and use of fireworks.
Newly-elected committee chairman Sean Jennings agreed to write to North Somerset Council and Woodspring MP Liam Fox expressing concern and supporting the proposed legislation.

January 21 2003, Leicester Mercury, CITY IN PLEDGE TO CURB FIREWORK USE
New laws to restrict the use of fireworks in Leicester could be in place before Bonfire Night.
The city council has vowed to bring in its own legislation on the sale and use of rockets, bangers and firecrackers in Leicester if the Government fails to do so.
Ministers are backing a private members' bill that proposes to restrict the sale of fireworks to one month up to November 5; put limits on their noise and set an 11pm curfew for letting them off.
The city council says it will consider making its own bylaws if the bill is not made law.
The moves follows a Mercury-backed council campaign to reduce firework noise during autumn and winter.
As part of its Bang! campaign, the council produced hard-hitting posters, increased noise nuisance patrols and carried out 28 sting operations in which they caught four shopkeepers selling fireworks to under-18s.
Cabinet environment spokesman Councillor Nigel Holden said: "We are very pleased the Government appears to have take note of the concerns we have raised in Leicester, and welcome the measures being proposed."
Fireworks are also used in Leicester to celebrate religious festivals in October and November, such as Diwali.
"We will also be advising the Government to take into account festivals like Diwali when agreeing the length of time that fireworks can be sold," said Coun Holden.
Knighton resident John Bellamy, 60, says he has been woken up by fireworks frequently.
He said: "With all the problems with fireworks, it is time to strike a hard line and introduce a curfew of 10pm during the week and 11pm at weekends.
"There should be restrictions on the time they can be sold to just around bonfire night and Diwali."
The private members' bill proposes a ban on the sale of fireworks apart from during three weeks before and one week after November 5.
It would also limit the noise of fireworks to 113 decibels, require that fireworks are sold only in £20 boxes, and make it an offence to set them off after 11pm, other than at New Year.
Simon Applebee, of the Firework Shop, Welford Road, said: "We would be disappointed because we feel it's taking away people's rights. Fireworks are also used at weddings and birthdays. We want to be able to sell them all year round."

January 20 2003, icScotland, Explosion in Chinese fireworks factory kills seven
An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China has killed seven people and injured nine others.
Government officials say police are investigating the cause of the blast in Linli, a city in Hunan province.
The death toll added to the annual surge in fatal accidents, as fireworks production rises before the Lunar

January 20 2003, This is Gloucestershire, FIREWORKS ALL-YEAR ROUND
Sir - D James scoffs at reader J Somerset's concern about her cats' terror of fireworks and accuses her of being yet another member of the ban everything brigade.
However, in their 2002 Fireworks Fact Sheet, the Government acknowledges the "large increase in complaints from the public relating to noise, neighbourhood safety and general nuisance from fireworks".
Not only are fireworks now let off at New Year, but also, as the Fact Sheet acknowledges and since we are a multi-cultural society, at festivals such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.
Halloween, too, is increasingly celebrated with fireworks, and in most places the "season" starts several days before October 31 and continues sporadically for a week or so after November 5.
Thus, increasingly loud fireworks let off over a long period, often well into the early hours, cause terror to animals and disturb the sleep of many people such as the elderly and those who have to rise early in the morning.
As a result, not only are animal welfare organisations such as COFFAW (Control of Fireworks for Animal Welfare), the Kennel Club and RSPCA pressing the Government for stricter controls, but also animal help organisations, such as Hearing Dogs for Deaf People and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Every year, stress caused by fireworks causes the early retirement of a number of these dogs, wasting many thousands of pounds spent on training, as well as depriving their owners of freedom and mobility.
The measures to be introduced by the Government to include a voluntary restraint on the fireworks industry to ensure no firework exceeds 120 decibels noise level - although it admits at present it has little scope to cut the noise level of fireworks!
To assist Trading Standards officers, a database will also be established linking importers, brand names, storage sites and shops etc; however, the Government seems reluctant to confirm exactly when this database will be up and running.
If you are concerned about the indiscriminate and increasing use of ever-louder fireworks, please write with your views to the following address:
Melanie Johnson, MP responsible for firework legislation, Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H OET.
E. I. Somerset

January 20 2003, Yorkshire Today, 'Mindless' flare hooligans hunted
DETECTIVES are hoping CCTV footage will lead them to the soccer hooligans who injured a 13-year-old girl after a firework was thrown at Friday's Sheffield derby match.
Wednesday fan Emma Jayne Barker needed emergency first aid treatment after being hit in the face with the flare, which police chiefs said had been deliberately hurled at rival fans by Sheffield Utd supporters in Bramall Lane's Laver Stand.
Officers last night condemned the attack as "mindless" and said Emma, who had gone to watch the derby match with her father, was lucky to be alive.
Match commander Chief Supt Dave Turner said: "These are like weapons and they can kill. The girl was extremely lucky the rocket did not do her any more damage.
"Whoever threw it I believe meant to cause harm. We will be searching through not only CCTV footage but also aerial footage taken from both ours and West Yorkshire's helicopters during the match.
"This kind of mindless behaviour is never tolerable and we will be doing everything in our power to apprehend these hooligans."
He said a flare box recovered from the scene would also be forensically examined.
Emma was released into the care of her parents after medical staff at the football ground decided she did not need hospital treatment.
She is now nursing a bruise on her forehead at home in Middlewood Road, Middlewood, Sheffield.
Her father Tony, 41, described the hooligans who injured his daughter as "pathetic".
He is now pressing for more to be done to search fans coming in to the ground. He said: "Emma begged me to take her to an away game and they don't come any bigger than the derby.
"But she says she never wants to go again now. She is terrified by what has happened."
However, despite Emma's injuries, police said the match had gone smoothly with just 26 people arrested mainly for public order offences.
Supt Turner said this was a direct result of an extensive policing operation throughout Friday night.
Seven men have been charged and released on bail.
He said: "We are pleased that the high profile operation has proved a success. We stopped any serious public order problems arising and dealt with the minor public order issue that did arise.
"The success of the operation can be measured by our ability to prevent public disorder, arrest offenders and ensure that people in Sheffield city centre were able to enjoy their evening without serious disruption from football hooliganism."
He added police had expressed their concern after the match was switched from Saturday afternoon to Friday night in order to fit in with Sky television's coverage. This decision has cost the force thousands of pounds for staff and there are now calls for football clubs to fork out for any extra police needed during high profile matches.
Sheffield United won the match 3-1.
Anyone with information about the flare incident is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or West Bar CID on 0114 2202020, where information will be treated in confidence if necessary.

January 17 2003, The West Cumberland Times & Star, TONY WINS BATTLE ON FIREWORK SALES
THE Government has brought in new laws to restrict the sale of fireworks following calls from Workington MP Tony Cunningham.
Ministers hope that restricting their sale to three weeks before and a few days after November 5 will curb the nuisance of youngsters letting them off all year round.
In addition, fireworks will be available only in selection boxes costing at least 20, their maximum noise level will be cut from 120 to 113 decibels and it will become an offence to set off a firework after 11pm.
Mr Cunningham, who last year put down an early day motion in the Commons calling for tougher controls, has described the industry's existing voluntary code as laughable.
He said he was responding to numerous complaints from constituents about nuisance fireworks.
The Government is backing a private member's bill, promoted by Hamilton South MP Bill Tynan, that will implement many of the changes called for by Mr Cunningham.
The legislation bans the sale of fireworks at New Year which means they would have to be bought by November 5.

January 17 2003, This is Kent,  Party rockets can be a pest to pets
Please may I prevail upon your readers to think very carefully before buying or selling fireworks for parties and celebrations at any time of the year.
Please be aware of the terror you will most certainly be inflicting upon vulnerable and helpless wildlife, domestic pets, horses, cattle and sheep.
Sudden bright lights are frightening enough, but the modern extremely loud explosions are truly dreadful and no animal should have to suffer this.
Until we care for the whole of creation, we are not whole human beings.
H. C. R. Copthorne

January 16 2003, Evening Chronicle, Fireworks fight gets new spark

FIRMS which make Bonfire Night go with a bang are fighting plans for a year-round fireworks ban.
Tyneside-based UK Fireworks warned rockets and bangers could be pushed on to the black market if moves by Parliament to outlaw them 11 months of the year succeed.
The Government is backing a Private Member's Bill by Scottish MP Bill Tynan aimed at restricting firework sales to November and forcing an 11pm noise curfew to protect pensioners and pets.
In September, the Chronicle reported how Evelyn McDade, 72, had to flee her blazing bedroom when a rocket came through her 10th floor window in The Spinney tower block in Heaton, Newcastle.
But Clive Richardson, who owns the-UK Fireworks store in Newcastle, said, "These private members bills come about every year and every year they fail.
"People who do tobacco and alcohol runs in France are bringing fireworks back as well.
They have got quotas for the cigarettes and alcohol but there is no limit on fireworks. In essence, they are driving up the M1 with a bomb.  If this Bill ever comes off, all it is going to do is send things underground. There will be more illegal sales.  Fireworks are only on sale to over 18s. We police it ourselves. I would never sell a 100-decibel firework to someone who wanted to set it off in the middle of Heaton. A licence to sell fireworks costs £11. I have been to the fire brigade and suggested they increase that to £111. Then with that extra budget they could police it more but unfortunately the issue is out of their hands."
Laws on fireworks sales were tightened last year. Since November 6 it has been illegal to sell air bombs and certain small rockets which used to be sold in millions.
In 2001, 1,362 people were injured by fireworks - a rise of 40 per cent - while animal protection groups say pets are petrified by nightly explosions. Evelyn, who had a narrow escape, told the Chronicle at the time: "I heard a loud bang. It was like gunfire. Then I saw a spark on my hall carpet.  I stamped the smoke and flame out with my foot and then I looked up and my bedroom was blazing."  She managed to escape from her flat and was ushered to safety by neighbours. The Fireworks Bill gets its second reading at the end of next month.

January 16 2003, This is Oxfordshire, Firework attack on home
A pensioner aged 90 escaped serious injury after a firework was pushed through the door of her Grove home.
Police are appealing for information about the French-manufactured banger, which blew off the letter box flap at the house off Brereton Drive at 8pm on Friday, January 10.
Grove community officer PC Kim Claxton said the woman was left badly shocked.
He added: "The flap of the letter box flew across the porch, smashing the interior door.
"She's very lucky not to be injured."
PC Claxton wants to hear of anyone who has visited France and bought fireworks.
Call him on 07968 190529.

January 16 2003, This is The Lake District, Bill sparks support
MEMBERS of the Windermere Campaign for Firework Control have written to every MP at Westminster in a bid to gain their support for more control on fireworks.
The individual letters urge the MPs to support a bill by Bill Tynan, MP for Hamilton South in Scotland, which is due to receive its second reading on February 28.
WCFC chairman Trevor Hinxman said the bill would introduce controls on the manufacture, use, noise and sale of fireworks, as well as introduce penalties for breaking the rules if it became law.
"The letters also ask the MPs to let us know if they are going to support the bill and if we can count on their help to get it through," said Mr Hinxman.
The letters were delivered to the Westminster post department by Tim Collins, Conservative MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, Andrew Stunell (Lib Dem) and Gordon Marsden (Labour). Mr Hinxman estimated that about 640 letters had been written.

January 16 2003, Yorkshire Evening Post, EU pledge to firework campaign
THE Yorkshire Evening Post campaign for an end to firework misery has won a pledge from the European Parliament.
Euro Commissioner Erkki Liikanen has agreed to take a close look at the issue after being shown stories and letters detailing the experiences of scores of our readers.
He was yesterday presented with the articles from the YEP by Yorkshire and Humber MEP David Bowe.
Mr Bowe, who met with the commissioner in Strasbourg, said he was delighted with his response.
"It was a very positive meeting," he said, "I expressed the view that we need European-wide legislation and he promised a study.
"We will have to wait for the results of that but I will be making sure that the views of the local residents are taken into account."
The move comes in the wake of the YEP 'Save the Fireworks for Bonfire Night' campaign which we launched last September.
We demanded stricter laws governing both the sale and use of fireworks and were swamped with letters of support from hundreds of readers.
Many revealed their lives are made a misery for months on end by the noise of explosions and danger from firework-throwing yobs.
Mr Bowe agreed to take the fight to Europe after the British Government announced it had no plans to tackle the growing problem.
He said: "The YEP's campaign has been very useful in highlighting the problems caused by current firework laws.
"It's clear from the widespread concerns felt by many people in our region that there is an urgent need for the European Commission and Parliament to consider introducing common legislation."
Mr Bowe hopes the European Union will adopt strict Euro-wide laws along the lines of those already in place in countries like France and Germany.
"It's a staggering and alarming fact that under current legislation in the UK individuals can store up to 20 tonnes of fireworks," he said.
"The fact is that a firework can be potentially lethal wherever it is sold as well as a noise nuisance. That's why I hope Commissioner Liikanen will give the concerns raised by local people very serious consideration."

January 15 2003, icLiverpool, Your Letters
HAVE read recently of the distress caused to Guide Dogs and their owners by fireworks.
The guide dog is the eyes of its owner and a very special bond of trust is built between human and animal.
To allow the irresponsible use of fireworks to cause such distress to the animal with the consequent loss of 'sight' to their owner is simply unacceptable and surely cannot be allowed to continue.
The banning of the retail sale of fireworks all year round is the only solution that would help eradicate this problem, although I would not wish to take away the facility of fireworks being available to 'licensed users'.
Licensed users would be fully trained in the storage and use of fireworks and could provide organised displays.
I have no hesitation in supporting a petition calling for this and would ask all readers to show their support too.  Log onto www.guidedogs.org and sign the petition today.
Chris Blakeley, Conservative Councillor, Moreton Ward

January 15 2003, Nottingham Evening Post, ACTION ON FIREWORKS NUISANCE
The nuisance of fireworks being let off all year round could at last be coming to end.
A new private member's Bill has been introduced in Parliament which could limit the sale of fireworks to only one month a year.
The draft Bill also calls for a curfew on the use of pyrotechnics after 11pm, noise restrictions and an end to pocket money fireworks.
The measures are being put before Parliament by Scottish backbench MP Bill Tynan.
His proposals reflect mounting calls from politicians and organisations - including the Post's Be Safe Not Sorry campaign - for a crackdown.
And it has an excellent chance of becoming law because it has been allocated the third largest amount of Commons time for a backbencher's Bill.
Broxtowe MP Nick Palmer, who has advised Mr Tynan on the Bill, said it covered the main problems - short of a full public use ban which he and the Post have been calling for.
"It's a shopping list of things to limit fireworks without banning them completely," said Dr Palmer.
"This is the last chance the fireworks industry has to accept regulation without an outright ban.
"It will be widely welcomed in Parliament.
"It's exactly what the great majority of my constituents want."
Mr Tynan has been in regular contact with the Government minister responsible for fireworks, Melanie Johnson, on the composition of the Bill.
Mr Tynan, the MP for Hamilton South in Lanarkshire, said: "The public are very concerned. It's essential that we have new legislation.
"I can understand the call for an outright ban but there are problems with that.
"People will create a black market. Prohibition doesn't work.
"To make progress we have to have a realistic Bill, not a killjoy Bill.
"I appeal for people to write to their MPs to get them to support this Bill."
Under the proposals, sales of fireworks will be restricted to three weeks before and a few days after November 5.
The explosion noise of fireworks will also be brought down from 120 decibels to 113 - the sound of a large-engined motorbike revving up.
They will also only be sold in large selection boxes, costing at least £20, to try to prevent children buying them with pocket money.
It will also become an offence to set off any firework after 11pm.
The Bill will be debated for the first time by MPs at the end of February.
Be Safe Not Sorry campaign supporter Jordan Hutchinson, who lost his arm in a firework accident when he was only 14 years old, welcomed the news.
Mr Hutchinson, who is now 30 and lives in Lenton, said: "Restricting the sale of fireworks to one month a year is good.
"But people will stockpile, and probably stockpile at home in unsafe places.
"The government still needs to realise that only a ban will do."
The campaign so far
The Post's Be Safe Not Sorry campaign has called for tougher regulation over the sale of fireworks to youngsters.
The selling of fireworks in Britain is totally unlicensed and falls under an explosives act from 1875.
The only current requirement for shops is to register with their local council.
The campaign was launched in December 2001 after a deluge of letters from readers saying they were fed up with the noise, nuisance and distress caused by fireworks.
It calls for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public - so they are only available to those organising a licensed event.
The campaign quickly gained the backing of several Notts MPs, including Broxtowe's Nick Palmer, who has lobbied vigorously for new legislation.
City councillors have also discussed a by-law for Nottingham, restricting the times when fireworks can be set off as well as the location of firework displays and the period of time in which they can be bought.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has been handed a dossier of the Post's campaign.

January 15 2003, Yorkshire Evening Post, Fighting fireworks
A LEEDS MP is among those pledging support for proposed new firework control laws to be put forward next month.
The plan could mean an 11 pm "watershed" limit on letting off fireworks and a general restriction on sales to a period of a few weeks around Bonfire Night.
Leeds West Labour MP John Battle has promised to back the plan which he called "a move in the direction of getting tougher regulation."
Mr Battle welcomed signs that the Government is preparing to give its backing to proposed legislation being put forward by Scots Labour MP Bill Tynan. Previous Government measures - including a voluntary agreement on sales and a ban on the noisiest, most dangerous "air bomb" fireworks - were "not good enough", Mr Battle said.
Mr Tynan, who is still holding talks on details of his plan, underlined the role of campaigns such as the Yorkshire Evening Post's in bringing pressure for curbs on firework misery from yobs who let them off in the small hours and put people in fear through misuse.
In his plan, there could be a licence system to allow firework displays for celebrations such as weddings or religious festivals outside the three or four week period around Bonfire Night. An extension of the 11 pm "curfew" would be allowed to mark New Year's Day.
Purchases of fireworks would be in £20 boxes in a bid to deter the "yob culture," Mr Tynan said. He wants tougher checks on lorry-loads of imported fireworks which now get into the wrong hands rather than regular dealers. Mr Tynan wants the noisiness of fireworks to be reduced but is talking with the industry and with the Government about what package of measures is likely to win sufficient support.
Mr Tynan protested at a spread of year-round nuisance from anti-social use of fireworks, declaring: "The louder the bang, the greater kick they seem to get out of it."
He called for new laws to "make sure fireworks are safely and responsibly used." His plan would enable the Government to bring in tougher regulations.
Mr Battle has called for action going further than Mr Tynan's plan. But he said he would back the proposals, adding: "We are making progress."

January 14 2003, BBC NEWS  England  Calls for fireworks to be banned
A potential ban on the sale of fireworks is to be discussed by Exeter City councillors.
Councillor Connel Boyle, who represents the St Thomas area of the city, wants the local authority to pave the way in restricting sales to the public.
According to Councillor Boyle people in the city are fed up with the never-ending firework season.
He is also calling for the licensing of public displays.
I don't think a ban is correct but I do think there should be restrictions  Mike Glover "When I was younger there were many more firework displays around, getting people out of their back gardens and meeting the local community," he said.
"We've got a real opportunity here to actually raise money for local charities and community.
"I do feel we have lost the real reason for having Guy Fawkes' night as national celebration, it's just become firework season."
Mike Glover is the managing director of Sonic Fireworks in Broadclyst, and although opposed to a ban, does say that fireworks should be sold responsibly.
The business organises public displays as well as selling fireworks individually.
"I don't think a ban is correct but I do think there should be restrictions on the types of fireworks available for sale in the city centre and the way they are sold.
"The larger fireworks should only be sold to people with the space."

January 14 2003, Birmingham Evening Mail, Firework ban snub,  By Jane Tyler,
Government plans to ban the year-round sale of fireworks have been rejected by West Midlands fire chiefs.
Under the proposals, fireworks will only be legally available in shops for three weeks up to Bonfire Night and a few days afterwards.
Ministers are reacting to complaints from residents about the noise from fireworks all year round, and the rising number of injuries. If the legislation was adopted it would spell the end of families letting off fireworks at New Year and barbecues.
But West Midlands Fire Service is not supporting the legislation - saying it will create more problems than it is meant to solve.
Spokesman Iain McWilliam said: "If people can only buy fireworks during a short period they will be tempted to stockpile them to use throughout the year and will store them incorrectly at home."
He said other dangers of the ban would be people resorting to buying dangerous, illegal fireworks on the black market.
A ban would also affect the region's large ethnic minority population. Fireworks are let off during Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, and the Muslim Eid celebration.
"The restrictions would be discriminatory towards these sections of the population and we would not support that," Mr McWilliam said.
A ban would also outlaw noisy fireworks such as air bombs, bangers and some rockets. What do you think?
Send YOUR views to The Editor, Evening Mail, PO Box 78, Weaman Street, Birmingham, B4 6AY,

January 13 2003, icWales, Police target firework sellers
WHITE van man is being blamed for the illegal trade in fireworks, it has been revealed.
Trading standards officers said that fireworks had been sold late at night by rogue operators from pub car parks in Cardiff.
And they have joined forces with the police to appeal to the public to tip them off if they know the identity of the sellers.
A mobile CCTV system may also been used in the future in an effort to trap those involved in illegal sales.

January 13 2003, Manchester online, MP's new bid to curb fireworks
TIGHTER restrictions on fireworks could be in place before the next Bonfire Night.
A private member's Bill put forward by MP Bill Tynan calls for a clampdown on the times fireworks can be sold. It also includes measures to reduce noise levels of fireworks and introduce an 11pm curfew, after which fireworks must not be let off.
The Bill could be the most important development yet in the campaign against the uncontrolled use of fireworks, which has been backed by the M.E.N.
It has government backing which means that it stands a strong chance of being approved by both the House of Commons and House of Lords - so it could become law quickly.
Mr Tynan and supporters of his bill hope that it could become law before November 5.
If it is approved, it will mean firework sales restricted to three weeks before Bonfire Night and a few days after it

January 12 2003, Yorkshire Today, Backing for law to curb fireworks nuisance
CONCERNS about the nuisance and danger posed by fireworks could lead to new laws laying down major restrictions on their sale and use.
Regulations which could be in place in time for this year's Bonfire Night are expected to include a ban on their sale to the public apart from a month-long window before November 5, noise restrictions and a curfew of 11pm. The measures will be part of a Private Member's Bill, due to come before the House of Commons on January 21, which is expected to win crucial Government backing.
It comes amid growing anger about the year-round use of fireworks which now light up the sky to mark the New Year, wedding receptions, birthday celebrations and during religious, sporting and other festivals. Local authorities and MPs have received vast numbers of complaints about the issue, mainly about the noise caused by increasingly powerful and sophisticated fireworks which are causing major night-time disturbances and scaring pets.
Police have also expressed fears about the use of fireworks in the wrong hands. Several public telephone boxes were effectively blown up by fireworks last year in incidents across Yorkshire.
Under the new regulations, there will be a time limit on the sale of fireworks. They will be sold in selection boxes costing at least £20 to deter children buying them, although this is already illegal.
Leeds West MP John Battle, who has pressured Ministers on the issue and hopes to co-sponsor the Bill which is being promoted by Hamilton South MP Bill Tynan, said it would go part of the way to addressing the problem.
He would support the Bill as far as it went but still wanted much tougher measures including the licensing of events, allowing neighbours to object to firework displays, and also to restrict sales to registered suppliers, outlawing over-the-counter shop purchases. "As far as it goes, I think this Bill is welcome and I take encouragement that the situation has moved on," said Mr Battle.
"I want some action and this is some rather
than none. This issue needs to be taken seriously. There are fireworks around now which are so powerful they are practically bombs. They frighten the elderly and pets and a lot of people are fed up with the racket all night."
The Government has so far resisted pressure to change the law over fireworks although it dates from 1875. Firework technology has advanced significantly in recent years and some illegal fireworks have been measured as being louder than Concorde.
Reports yesterday said discussions on the Bill had been held between its supporters and Consumer Affairs Minister Melanie Johnson which backers hope will lead to vital Government support. A Trade and Industry Department spokesman refused to comment ahead of the Bill being introduced in the Commons.

January 12 2003, Yorkshire Today, Plea to Europe over firework safety
A CAMPAIGNER who says fireworks have become too big, too noisy and a year-round threat to the health and safety of people and animals, has been promised action by a Euro-MP, who says her dossier of evidence justifies strict licensing by the European Commission.
Marjorie Johnson, of Almsford Road in Harrogate, has received nationwide support culminating in a 143,000-name petition being presented at Westminster. She launched her campaign after an elderly neighbour's dog suffered a heart attack and died in her arms through stress caused by firework explosions.
Now Yorkshire and the Humber Region Euro-MP David Bowe is to take her case for tougher controls on the sale and use of fireworks to the European Commissioner Erkki Likanen with a view to introducing a strict licensing scheme on the 15 members of the Union.
Although firework injuries increased by 60 per cent over 12 months and the number of people requiring hospital treatment rose from 972 to 1,362, Britain's Consumer Minister Melanie Johnson has ignored pressure to update laws dating from 1875 and continued to promote a voluntary code.
But after finding retailers prepared to sell individual fireworks costing up to £90 each to the public and seeing the injury and damage that can be caused when they are used irresponsibly, Mrs Johnson has pressed the British Government to bring in the strict controls already in place in Northern Ireland.
She said: "Some of what are on sale are not fireworks - they are missiles."
Her dossier of incidents includes fireworks with metal cases which have passed through car windscreens, a bullock trampled to death when cattle were panicked by the noise, a dog which went berserk and destroyed a three-piece suite and even the death of one of Home Secretary David Blunkett's guide dogs.
Mr Bowe, a former chemistry teacher who specialises in laws to control the safe storage and handling of chemicals, agrees with Mrs Johnson, a former special constable in North Yorkshire Police, that the voluntary code is not working, but he has warned that it could be another three years before any European Union directive becomes law in Britain.
He said: "Boxes of fireworks you can buy today bear no relationship to what were available 30 years ago. We need proper standards to define what is a firework is what is an explosive because they have got more and more powerful. We also need to define who is allowed to use them."
Mrs Johnson, whose concern has grown as the use of fireworks has become a year-round problem, added that some of the larger ones were as dangerous as firearms.

January 10 2003, This is Hampshire, City to outlaw year-round fireworks
Environmental chiefs are to study ways of stopping firework displays that go on in Winchester throughout the year, not just around November 5th.
The trend of loud bangs, often late at night, was raised by Lib Dem councillor, Brian Collin, at Wednesday's council meeting.
"Over the New Year period, I heard of several inappropriate displays, including 11.30pm on December 30th, just before what for many was a normal working day and a long display in the city centre at 4am over the weekend."
Health and wellbeing portfolio holder, James Wagner, said the control of noise from fireworks was covered by the 1990 Environmental Protection Act.
"There has been a recognisable increase in the frequency of displays, often using significantly larger fireworks than in the past, with a greater potential for nuisance if these are used inappropriately.
"It would be appropriate to develop guidelines on avoidance of noise and promote this through the media and retailers in a bid to reduce possible nuisance."
Staff would work on this with a plan to promote the guidelines later in the year, he said.

January 10 2003, This is Local London, Selfish Firework Lovers
Up until last year, those of us with no interest in "seeing in the New Year" were allowed to exercise our option in peace.
No longer it seems. The "any excuse for fireworks" brigade seem to have muscled in on this particular occasion, to add to the others they have appropriated, with the result that millions of elderly, very young, sick and others who like to have a normal night sleep were awakened at midnight by what sounded like a gun battle outside.
Do these selfish characters not understand their pleasures are not shared by everyone? Could they please show a little consideration in future, and restrict their fireworks to early evening, or preferably, not at all?
Name and address supplied

January 9 2003, icLiverpool, Your Letters
We have been hearing about yobs destroying phone boxes.
I think it is sickening what these kids are doing and it is cruel: people rely on these phones, and you get some kids throwing fireworks and smashing the windows all for the sake of having a laugh.
It's the same with internet booths. We get given all these helpful resources and some yob comes along and spoils it for everyone.
It makes you think that these people are letting down Liverpool and letting down our good reputation.
D. R. Liverpool 2

January 9 2003, Scotsman, Firework fear for wildlife
YOUR report "Hogmanay party goes off in style" (News, January 2) did not mention some inhabitants of Edinburgh who may not have enjoyed the party pyrotechnics.
I refer to the geese, swans and other wildfowl living at Blackford Pond directly under the firing site used by Unique Events on Blackford Hill.
The SSPCA advises the public never to let fireworks off anywhere near a nature reserve - yet the council permits these explosions actually within the Hermitage of Braid local nature reserve, which includes Blackford Pond. Both the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department and World Wildlife Fund (Scotland) have asked the city not to allow these displays at Blackford until an environmental impact assessment is carried out. None has been done, as far as I can tell.
Before we get round to welcoming in 2004, perhaps the city fathers could explain to us why they intend to bombard the defenceless birds of Blackford Pond!
A. J. M. Edinburgh

January 9 2003, This is Local London, Banging on about fireworks
THE firework nuisance is getting worse.
Although less intense than in 2001, I counted 33 nights, from Halloween until the end of November, when bangers were heard in the Abbey Wood area.
After a slight lull, the racket resumed two days before Christmas and continued into the first week of January 2003. To date, that made a total of 46 days of firework noise!
In response to repeated complaints, Mr D Stevens of the Greenwich Council's public services department, had the cheek to say "most displays are of short duration and are public events of one sort or another".
This is nonsense, and he knows it.
These bangers are let off at five minute intervals from people's back gardens from about 6.30pm to well past 11pm.
They are not public events nor displays. Neither are they "cultural celebrations" but the work of the same sort of vandal who sprays graffiti.
They do it because they can get away with it, and the shops are only too willing to sell products which can be used anti-socially just to make a fast buck.
The council is often going on about "citizenship values". Citizenship means we respect people's right to a quiet night in.
We are not getting it and, until firework sales are tightly regulated, will not get it in the future.
T. M. Abbey Wood

January 6 2003, icCoventry - Demand for firework action
A crackdown on fireworks is being demanded by a Warwickshire council.
Councillors at Warwick District Council are writing to the Houses of Parliament expressing their views about the nuisance caused by fireworks going off at all times of the night, all through the year.
Many people were woken by fireworks on New Year's Eve and the council received 12 complaints about the noise on January 1 and 2.
The protest was led by Cllr John Hammon (Con, Cubbington) who said there seemed to be an increase in firework misuse across the country.
He said: "We are getting complaints from people right across Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth all year round.
"No-one minds a firework display. The organised ones are marvellous. But it is the indiscriminate use of them which is a damned nuisance."
He asked the council to create a bylaw to deal with the situation.
But a report from council officers said that would not be successful.
The report said: "Bylaws can only be made by local authorities if there is agreement by government.
"Usually they will enable this process by creating a model bylaw which council's can adopt.
"There is no model bylaw in relation to the use of fireworks and therefore the process of making a local bylaw is not likely to be a successful route."
Councillors in Coventry have followed a similar route.
They have already applied to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott for a bylaw to restrict the hours during which people can set off fireworks.
The application is expected to be considered in the near future.

January 5 2003, Scotsman, Time for a ban on firework madness
ANOTHER New Year, another terrifying night for pets and young children as mindless (and doubtless legless) revellers re-enact the Battle of the Somme by letting off ever larger (and louder) fireworks from dusk through to the wee small hours of January 1.
Why this sudden obsession with letting off fireworks on every possible occasion through the year? At one time it was only for Guy Fawkes Night. Now everything from Dad's birthday to wee Jimmy's driving test pass seems to merit a burst of pyrotechnics with scant consideration for neighbours.
As a former sports teacher I possess a small blank-firing starting pistol. If I were to stand in my back garden and fire off a few shots I would be guaranteed the unwelcome attentions of the law through those self-same neighbours whom the law allows not only to purchase quantifies of explosives but to let them off whenever the whim takes them.
Bearing in mind that most local authorities have official displays for Guy Fawkes Night and New Year, surely it is high time that there be a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public, as is the case, surprisingly, in America, that most gun-cultured of nations.
R. D. Dalkeith

January 4 2003, Northants News, Anger as the New Year comes in with a bang
FIREWORKS fans could be in for silent celebrations if new bang-less bangers are introduced to stop noise pollution.
The rising popularity of fireworks at year-round parties, rather than simply traditional Bonfire Night events, has led to calls for increased legislation.
Pet owners in Northampton are among those who are not happy with the recent trend for fireworks which appears to have started with the Millennium celebrations of 1999.
Local environmental health officers in the town are now ploughing through a 100-page-plus document on firework legislation to see how their use could be better controlled.
Suggestions include silent fireworks which provide all the colour and sparks without the explosive soundtrack and designating areas where particularly noisy fireworks are banned.
Eric Jones, from Broadmead Avenue, said loud bangs had stressed the family dog Meg so much he has considered sedating it.
He said: "There is no legislation to stop people from making what are basically explosions at any time they want till however late they want.
"We are not killjoys but fireworks are no longer restricted to just Bonfire Night and New Year's Eve. We have had fireworks going off in our area on most nights for more than two months.
"It's difficult to sedate our dog if we don't know when to expect the fireworks. I'm considering writing to Sally Keeble MP to see if more can be done. Maybe people buying fireworks should have to get special licences and a time limit can be put on their use.
"It seems ludicrous that you can get into trouble for blasting a car horn after a certain time but not for making a loud explosion."
Earlier this week, a Northampton garden centre told the Chronicle & Echo it had sold record amounts of hi-tech fireworks which are lit by just one fuse for the whole pack. The centre manager said sales had rocketed in recent years and fireworks had become popular all year round.
A spokesman for the borough council, which is responsible for environmental health, said: "It is difficult for environmental health officers to take any action unless fireworks are being set off on a regular basis causing an unreasonable amount of noise and therefore could perhaps be classed as a statutory nuisance."
The Government paper being considered by the council lists suggestions including limiting use to specified dates and within certain hours and making voluntary agreements with community groups to conform to a code of practice restricting continuing use of fireworks.

January 3 2002, icSouthlondon - Fireworks are a threat to dogs
THE Guide Dogs for the Blind Association appeals to readers to sign our 'Regulate Fireworks Now' petition, which calls for an end to the disruption and distress caused to guide dogs and their owners by fireworks.
As every year, this week's New Year celebrations are forcing guide dogs and other working dogs to retire after being traumatised by the irresponsible use of fireworks. Others have to be sedated, and some even restrained, leaving their owners without mobility for weeks at a time.
We are calling for the licensing of firework retailers and organisers of public fireworks displays; limitation of noise levels; and the specifying of a limited number of dates in the public calendar around which fireworks can be sold. Outside of these times, sales to the public would not be permitted.
Sudden loud noise can distress guide and other assistance dogs to such a degree that they are unable to continue working. This means the end of the extraordinary partnership that has taken many months and years to develop.
With the lifetime cost of training, feeding, insuring and providing veterinary care running at £35,000 for each guide dog, the cost to the charity of retiring dogs part-way through their working lives is enormous.
Your readers can pledge their support by logging on to Guide Dogs' website www.guidedogs.org.uk and signing the petition. Alternatively phone us on 0118 983 8242 or email: guidedogs@guidedogs.org.uk for postal copies of the petition.
All signatures will be presented to the Government in early 2003. Please support our campaign. We don't want to ruin people's fun, but we don't want people's lives ruined either.
Geraldine Peacock, Chief Executive, The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

January 3 2003, Evening Chronicle, Vent Your Spleen
This is New Year's morning 3am. We are being extremely disturbed by drunken, crazed yobbos setting off industrial type fireworks. I have rang two police stations who have told me there is nothing they can do as it's New Year's Eve and they can't stop people setting off fireworks. Wasn't there same sort of legislation recently about people setting off fireworks? It's three in the morning. I have to get up for work,, as does my husband, and we are being disturbed by people right outside our window letting off these terrible, noisy fireworks. They aren't just ordinary fireworks, they are very, very loud. What are we paying our council tax for when the police can't do anything? Come on, get these hooligans off the streets.

January 3 2003, Harrogate Today, Furious campaigner takes fireworks case to Europe
A HARROGATE woman campaigning for stricter controls on fireworks is to take her legal challenge to Europe.
Fireworks have once again been used over Christmas and the New Year and some stores have even been selling boxes on a two-for-one special offer.
Now Yorkshire and Humber MEP David Bowe has vowed to raise the whole issue of fireworks and their regulation in the European Parliament after being given a dossier of Marjorie Johnson's campaign.
Mrs Johnson, who has campaigned staunchly to halt the growing menace of fireworks, insists current laws governing them must be scrapped to avoid mounting problems with disorder and injury.
"There isn't an awful lot more we can do in this country because I have tried everything time and time again to solve this problem," she explained.
"I have written letters to Downing Street, spoken to Ministers, delivered petitions and had wonderful support from all over the country, but it's the people at the top whose minds won't be changed so we will have to try elsewhere.
"The issue is now going to Europe and what I want to see come out of it is licensing for the shops that sell fireworks, the people who buy them and the people who set them off. They are becoming very, very dangerous indeed.
"What's been done at the very top level in this country is simply not good enough. We have reached a stage now where the issue must be taken to Europe."
Mrs Johnson is becoming increasingly concerned about the use of fireworks outside the traditional Bonfire Night period and is appealing for clarification from the police as to what legal powers are in place to prevent their use throughout the year.
Alongside fears over the safety of property, children and wildlife, the seasoned campaigner is also bidding to ban bomb-like fireworks that pose a serious risk to local residents.
"These things are no longer just fireworks, they've become missiles," she told the Harrogate Advertiser.
"I was speaking to a friend not long ago who had one go straight through a double-glazed window. It's terrifying.
"Why should we have to go through this all year round? We all know when Christmas Day is - we don't carry on celebrating that month after month - so why carry on letting off fireworks. It's not right."
But despite the continuing menace to residents in Harrogate, local police chiefs have admitted there is little they can do to stop the rise in firework use.
Unless a specific offence is being committed, Insp Alison Leslie warned that they have limited powers - and the only course of action open to local people is to ring Environmental Health.
"It is a bit of a toothless tiger really," she explained.
"We would urge shops to work with us and not sell fireworks unless they absolutely have to, but there is nothing we can do to stop them.
"And once again, we can't do much about people letting them off unless a specific offence is being committed.
"My message would be, New Year's Eve is fair enough - but other than that if there is a nuisance being caused call Environmental Health and see what they can do. I can sympathise but it is a difficult situation."

January 3 2003, icSolihull - Hoaxer jailed
A CHELMSLEY Wood man used fireworks and lengths of tape to make it appear he had booby-trapped his home with explosives and then made a hoax bomb call to the police, Warwick Crown Court heard.
Alan Joseph, 28, of Bosworth Drive, was sentenced to a total of 18 months' imprisonment after he had admitted the hoax and a charge of common assault.
Samantha Forsyth, prosecuting, said in March, Joseph arrived home in a bad mood and began shouting and swearing at his partner, Lindsey Moore, before grabbing her by the throat.
In front of their two-year-old daughter he then grabbed her by the hair and threw her around the room, causing her to bang her head on a radiator. He also threw the phone and television at her, cutting her lip.
After the attack had ended Miss Moore went to the home of a friend from where she called the police.
Joseph also phoned the police, making a series of 999 calls in which he told them: "I've put explosives on all my doors to stop my wife entering. I've put dynamite on every door and it's stuck to the windows.
"My missus and kids are going to walk through that door any minute. Stop her, because I don't want to slap her."
Joseph made other calls of a similar nature and the police treated the warning very seriously. When officers went to the house they found what turned out to be spent fireworks taped to the windows and doors.
J o n a t h a n Challenor, defending, said that since being remanded in custody Joseph had attended courses to help him with his drug and alcohol addictions.
Jailing Joseph, Recorder Peter Ross told him: "I do recognise you have made considerable progress while in custody. But these matters are so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate."

January 3 2003, This is Local London, Inches away from firework disaster
Peter Baxter-Derrington with his children, showing remnants of the firework and part of the damage caused. A Sutton boy and his dad narrowly escaped being seriously hurt on Christmas Day after a 4ft festive firework crashed into a back room of their house.
Peter Baxter-Derrington and his son James, seven, were about to fetch drinks from their utility room when they heard a large bang followed by a flash of smoke.
Mr Baxter-Derrington, who lives in Sutton Grove, said: "Luckily it stopped us both in our tracks. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing."
The garden firework, which is believed to have come from a nearby display, crashed through the roof of the room causing a couple of hundred pounds worth of damage.
He added: "It was all a question of timing really because if I hadn't gone with James to get him a drink he could have been in there on his own when the firework landed."
Although Mr Baxter-Derrington contacted the police for insurance purposes, the owner of the firework has not been traced.

January 3 2003, This is Worcestershire, Guide dogs left in fear
FIREWORKS are ruining the lives of guide dogs who are left traumatised and unable to work, according to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Worcester alone has 37 registered blind people who depend on guide dogs to enable them to lead independent lives but the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association says irresponsible firework users could be putting the animals at risk.
"Every New Year, and at other times, guide dogs and other working dogs are forced to retire traumatised by the irresponsible use of fireworks," said the association's Matt Grainger.
"Others have to be sedated and some even retrained leaving their owners without mobility for weeks at a time. Over recent years, as fireworks have become more widespread, the problem has escalated."
The association, which trains guide dogs for blind people in Worcestershire at its Leamington Spa centre, is now calling for the licensing of firework retailers and organised public fireworks displays and the introduction of a range of laws to limit firework use.
A petition being run by the association also calls for a limit to noise levels and the specification of a limited number of dates around which fireworks can be sold. The association is also urging MPs to consider introducing a private members' bill to bring these measures into force.
One case to illustrate the problem was a dog who had to be retired after a gang of youths aimed a firework directly at the dog's face which terrified and injured him.
His fear of any bang increased so much that his owner was unable to take him anywhere. Even a train door slamming was enough to terrify the dog and travelling was impossible.
Anyone wanting to support the campaign can sign the petition online at www.guidedogs.co.uk or by contacting Matt Grainger at Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Hillfields, Burghfield Common, RG7 3YG.

January 2 2003, The Guardian  Fireworks explosion kills dozens
At least 28 people died when stands selling illegal fireworks ignited, setting fire to a market place, cars and buildings in the Mexican port city of Veracruz yesterday.
A city fire spokesman, Carlos Ortiz, said 28 bodies were recovered and 50 people were injured. Authorities expect the death toll to rise, as the blaze raged for more than six hours and destroyed an entire block of buildings.
Most of the victims died from burns and smoke inhalation. Rescue workers found the incinerated bodies of 16 women who had taken refuge inside a clothing shop where they worked.
City officials had tried to shut down the fireworks stands in the area on December 24, but stood down after the stand owners beat them back with sticks. Fireworks explosions are common in Mexico, where many factories and stands operate illegally.

January 2 2003, Evening Star, Fireworks bring New Year misery
AN ALMOST daily torment is being waged on the people of Ipswich, as bangers are set off in the streets months after Bonfire Night.
Explosions on November 5 and New Year's Eve are tolerated and enjoyed by many, but fireworks are now plaguing the lives of Ipswich residents throughout the year.
Even the New Year's Eve, privately-organised displays started well before 10am and lasted through until 12.30am, seeming louder than ever before.
Today we bring you the latest Star story to highlight the misery caused by inconsiderate youngsters setting off bangers- a problem we reported on back in November when one resident said living in Ipswich sounded 'somewhat similar to living in a battlefield.'
A poll on The Evening Star's website showed an overwhelming majority of people are in favour of restricting fireworks to November 5.
Yet fireworks were still being set off throughout the day in Lower Brook Street, on Monday .
Police also received a complaint from a worried resident in Whitton Church Lane the same day.
Officers went to investigate, but couldn't hear anything.
It is illegal to sell fireworks to anyone under 18 years of age, or supply the general public with certain powerful fireworks, including: flash-bangers, Chinese Crackers and fireworks with erratic flight, all bangers and mini-rockets.
There were almost 1,000 firework-related injuries in 2001, and a study in 1997 found that one in three firework injuries in England, were due to hooliganism.
Animals suffer too, and Helen Conway of the RSPCA shop in Carr Street has extended the closing date for a local branch of a regional petition to out an end to public sale of fireworks, in a bid to stop disturbed nights throughout the year. The petition is being led in King's Lynn - where more than 26,000 have signed up - and will be sent to the Prime Minister after January 30.
She said as many as ten people visit just to sign the petition, and added: "Fireworks are becoming a really big problem. In the past people used to do fireworks like Catherine Wheels in their gardens, but now they all want the biggest and best.
"I reckon we must have well over 1,000 signatures now - everybody of all ages, not just animal lovers.
"Everybody has stories of how they have woken up frightened. People are absolutely sick of it.
"The feeling is that we don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but after tea on Monday there was a firework display going on in the Broomhill area in someone's garden and it wasn't even New Year's Eve.
"One lady told me a rocket went through her greenhouse in November."
Animals' suffering is also prolonged when bangers are exploded throughout the year.
A poll commissioned by the RSPCA shows 71 per cent of those questioned thought loud fireworks should only be allowed at public displays.
In 2001, 4,825 animals were treated for firework-related injuries or were prescribed sedatives because they were so frightened.
A total of 16 animals were put to sleep because of their injuries and three animals were believed to be the victims of deliberate attacks.
The maximum penalty for selling fireworks to persons apparently under the age of 18, and for throwing or discharging a firework in a street or public place is now a £5,000 fine.
The borough council's pollution services department is currently drawing up a code of conduct for this year which will inform residents how they can enjoy fireworks without causing too much annoyance to their neighbours.
Surveys by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that outdoor noise levels have not increased during the past decade. But eight per cent of those questioned said that noise spoils their home life, and many more suffer regular disturbances.
32 million people in the UK are exposed to high levels of noise, according to Government figures.
It is estimated that 2.5 million people live in homes with bad sound insulation.
Noise harms more than our ears. Studies have correlated noise with physiological changes in sleep pattern, blood pressure and digestion.

January 2 2003, ic Cheshire online New Year fireworks tragedy kills 28
At least 28 people and have been killed and 47 others are missing after an illegal fireworks stand exploded in Mexico. The blaze, in the Mexican port city of Veracruz, quickly spread to a market packed with New Year revellers, officials say. Police and passers-by helped firefighters carry hoses to the scene as they struggled to put out blazing cars, buildings and market stalls.

January 2 2003, icTeesside,  Firecrackers carnage in market place
Mexico's port city of Veracruz was in mourning today for at least 28 people killed in a New Year's Eve fireworks explosion in a crowded market.
Distraught people made their way to the site of charred rubble yesterday to see if their loved ones were among the dead.
Many of the victims were burnt beyond recognition and officials asked residents to provide dental records to help identify the bodies.
Authorities said at least 28 people were killed and 41 injured, 25 of whom were in hospital. Another 47 were missing.
The blast also destroyed eight businesses and 70 stalls.
The cordoned-off city block was littered with the remnants of destroyed wooden fruit stands, the hulks of burnt-out cars and ash-covered grapes. Mexicans traditionally greet the New Year at midnight, by eating a grape for each month of the year for good luck.
Victims were burnt alive in the streets and in shops where some had taken refuge from the explosions. Authorities said that they found the bodies of 13 people at a clothing store, including five in a back closet.
Officials said the explosions were caused by a spark that set off boxes of fireworks being sold illegally at the Hidalgo market, a major shopping area in the Gulf port. The blasts ignited a fire that consumed an entire city block.
It was the deadliest such explosion in Mexico since September 26, 1999, when four tons of illegally-stored fireworks and gunpowder exploded in central Guanajuato state, killing 63 people.
In 1988, at least 68 people were killed during a fireworks explosion in a Mexico City market.
Mexicans use fireworks to celebrate everything from weddings to national holidays, and a crackdown on the sale of illegal explosives has made little headway.
Soldiers today guarded warehouses holding four tons of illegal fireworks seized by authorities the day before.
Police had conducted a raid on Hidalgo market's illegal fireworks stands on Christmas Eve, but residents beat them back with rocks, bottles, and sticks.
Yesterday's New Year's Day parade, which traditionally includes impressive fireworks displays, was cancelled.

January 2 2003, icWales, Family's lucky escape
A VALLEYS family are counting themselves lucky after a freak firework accident marred their New Year celebrations.
A stray rocket started a fire in the bathroom of Wayne Archer's house in Bankes Street, Aberdare.
He had been holding a firework display in the garden when a firework veered into the shed and exploded, about 20ft from the upstairs bathroom.
The fire service was alerted but Mr Archer, 53, had put out the fire using a shower head.
The father-of-three was treated for smoke inhalation and the bathroom was extensively smoke damaged.
Mr Archer said: "It's become a trend to have fireworks on New Year's Eve and maybe people should be thinking about organised displays."

January 2 2003, This is Bristol - FEARS OVER NEW YEAR FIREWORKS
Hundreds of residents across Bristol held private firework parties on New Year's Eve, prompting health and safety fears by watchdogs and emergency workers.
Around 1,300 people needed hospital treatment nationwide for firework injuries on New Year's Eve compared to 800 last year.
And in Fishponds, where a house was hit by a stray rocket, its owners Pat and Ernest Stiles said they were lucky their house was not burned down.
Many homes in Bristol had firework displays in their gardens because there was no big city centre show to bring in the New Year - a move which has been criticised by many people, including the director of the National Campaign for Firework Safety.
Mr and Mrs Stiles are among a growing number of residents who believe that more and more people are celebrating Bonfire Night and New Year with home fireworks, some too big to be used outside large public displays.
The couple found out about their damaged conservatory in their Thicket Road home after returning from a party at a friend's house.
Mr Stiles, aged 61, a mortuary worker, said the couple had been lucky their house had not been burnt to the ground as the heavy rain had extinguished the rocket before it could do any harm.
His wife Pat, aged 60, said: "The firework burned through the first layer of our conservatory and would have gone through the second layer if the rain had not put it out."
Mrs Stiles said that the six-inch-long banger caused £2,000 worth of damage to their conservatory and its roof now needs replacing.
The National Campaign for Firework Safety fears that as the number of public shows decreases every year, domestic health and safety is being put at risk as numbers of private displays increase.
Bristol City Council has not hosted a fireworks display on New Year's Eve for two years in a row, citing financial restrictions as the reason, and the beginning of this year proved that many people are continuing to turn to their own entertainment.
The number of firework related injuries has also dramatically increased in the past two years.
Last year, the UK saw a 40 per cent increase in the number of injured people who attended accident and emergency departments after lighting their own fireworks.
Noel Tobin, the National Campaign for Firework Safety director, said: "We are in favour of large professional public displays but we are against the sale of fireworks for private parties. Fireworks should be banned and public displays encouraged instead."

January 2 2003, This is Somerset, FLOOK 'NO' TO FIREWORKS BAN
Area MP Adrian Flook has come out against a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public - but he does support a voluntary code to control their availability and use.
Replying to a letter from Wellington Town Council highlighting members' concerns, he writes: "The Government has stated that it has no plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the general public. I support this position, although I do feel it needs to listen to the thousands of people who have legitimate complaints regarding the excessive noise caused by modern fireworks." Mr Flook says what is needed is a balance between individuals' freedom of enjoyment and action against inconsiderate and antisocial behaviour.
"I do not believe we really want more regulation and restrictions on individual freedom, " he writes. "More than anything, the issue is one of adherence to and enforcement of existing law." Mr Flook points out that the Government has recently announced a package of measures designed to cut firework injuries and reduce problems of noise and nuisance.
These include a ban by the industry on "air bombs" and "screaming rockets" to be followed by legislation. In some areas there will also be on-the-spot fines for over 18s throwing fireworks in the street.
"I also support the voluntary code the Government is promoting as a way of increasing control over firework availability and use, " says Mr Flook.
"If voluntary restraint works, there will be many fewer complaints. It is a question of consideration and responsible behaviour, and also parental control." Town clerk Tony Brown has also spoken to Milverton woman Jo Steer, whose campaign to restrict noisy fireworks became a national cause celebre when a 143,000-signature petition was presented to Parliament.
Although Jo and her fellow campaigners welcome the latest Government initiatives, they still want restrictions on which fireworks can be sold to the general public, and stricter controls over their import.
They also want restrictions on public firework displays and public notification of such displays.
Miss Steer, a rider who says her horse has been terrified by fireworks in the past, told the WWN: "We are not against all fireworks, just the noisy ones.
Without the noise there is not a problem and antisocial elements have no interest in quiet fireworks." She said campaigners would monitor the effect of the latest restrictions and voluntary code, but a recent survey had shown the problem with noise levels had been increasing.

January 1 2003, BBC NEWS, Mexico fireworks blast kills 28
At least 28 people have been killed in the Mexican port town of Veracruz following an explosion and fire which started at an illegal fireworks stand.
Fifty people were injured in the blaze, which engulfed market stalls and nearby buildings in a packed New Year's Eve market.
We are all responsible - let this serve as an example  Veracruz Mayor  Jose Gutierrez Most of the casualties died from the effects of inhaling smoke, officials said.
They warned the death toll could rise further as teams worked their way through burnt-out buildings.
The Hidalgo and Unidad Veracruzana markets in the centre of the port had been full of shoppers, many buying fireworks for New Year celebrations.
Volunteers joined police and emergency workers trying to rescue people and to contain the spread of the blaze which began at around 1800 local time (0000 GMT).
Fireworks could be heard overhead as the teams battled for hours to bring the blaze under control.
City spokesman Carlos Ortiz said it was unclear how the fire started, although there were reports that a passer-by threw a cigarette at the stand.
Mr Ortiz said city officials had tried to shut down the fireworks stands only a few days earlier, but were forced to back down because of local resistance.
'Not the first time'
Firework explosions are common in Mexico, where many factories operate with little regard for safety.
Veracruz Mayor Jose Gutierrez told Mexican television: "This is not the first time this has happened in Mexico or in Veracruz.
"We are all responsible. Let this serve as an example."
In September 1999, dozens died in a fireworks explosion in the city of Celaya in the central Mexico state of Guanajuato.

January 1 2003, icWales - Grenade kills 10 New Year revellers
Police in the Philippines were today hunting for a man who threw a grenade into a fireworks stall, killing at least 10 New Year's revellers and wounding 32 others.
A 14-year-old boy was among the dead following the attack in Tacurong on southern Mindanao island, police spokesman Leopoldo Bataoil said.
A man was seen hurling the grenade into the stall and police artists were putting together a sketch of the suspect.
"We are still ascertaining the motive behind the grenade attack," Bataoil said.
No one has claimed responsibility, but authorities have blamed the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front for a series of bomb attacks and an ambush that killed 30 people and injured dozens in the southern Philippines over the last two weeks.
The rebels, who have been fighting for three decades for Muslim self-rule in the region, have denied the charge.
Witnesses said about 50 customers were at the stall buying firecrackers when the blast happened around 9pm (1300 GMT) in the busy square. Four people died instantly, including the 14-year-old, army Captain Onting Alon said.
It was the fifth bombing in central Mindanao since Christmas Eve, when a home-made bomb killed the mayor of Datu Piang town and 16 others. Police said the MILF was behind that attack.
Tacurong is a mainly Christian agricultural city at the heart of Sultan Kudarat province, next to Maguindanao province, where the MILF has many bases.
It has seen many grenade attacks in the past, blamed on MILF members from the provincial rural interior.
Communist New People's Army rebels also have a presence in Tacurong, but they are not known to have staged attacks similar to yesterday's.
The military and the MILF rebels have accused each other of violating a shaky 1997 truce. Peace negotiations between the MILF and government were suspended in October 2001, but are expected to resume later this month in Malaysia.
Bataoil said the attack came following of a crackdown on illegal firearms and firecrackers in the province, where weapons abound.
Two separate New Year's Eve grenade attacks on the island, believed to be the result of a personal grudge, killed a two-year-old girl and injured her parents, Bataoil said.

January 1 2003, Northants News, New Year's parties will go with a bang
REVELLERS who were not content seeing the New Year in with a quiet drink or a sing-song celebrated with a bang after stocking up on top-of-the-range fireworks.
Fancy pyrotechnics appear to have become the in-thing among Northampton's party crowd with one town shop reporting a last minute surge in sales.
The fireworks, which cost from about £40 up to more than £100, are lit by one fuse yet produce several explosions one after the other.
Kevin Daniels, deputy manager of Wyevale Garden Centre in Harlestone Heath, said: "They have become extremely popular locally, particularly for New Year celebrations.
"People like them because they save you going back over and over again to light new fireworks.
"It also cuts out that boring bit where everyone is standing around in the cold waiting for the next explosion.
"They have really taken off this year and people are ordering them for summer parties and barbecues, and even events like weddings."

January 1 2003, Sky News, Firework fire kills 28
At least 28 people have been killed and more than 50 injured after New Year fireworks sparked a major blaze in the Mexican city of Veracruz.
The fire started in a street market full of fireworks stalls before spreading to nearby buildings.
Firefighters struggled for hours to extinguish the blaze, and most of the injuries were from smoke inhalation.
Veracruz Mayor Jose Ramon Gutierrez said last week city officials had asked the prosecutor's office to shut down street stalls which posed an explosion risk.
But no action had been taken, he added.
Fireworks accidents in factories, warehouses and shops are common in Mexico, where pyrotechnics are popular around the year.
Dozens died in a fireworks explosion in the city of Celaya in the central state of Guanajuato in September 1999.