November 5, 2002,  BBC News, Firework taped to kitten's back
A kitten is recovering after a firework was taped to his back and ignited.   Toffee suffered serious burns to his back, one side of his body and his ear. The 12-week-old kitten was found by his owner's granddaughter in Everton, Liverpool, with the firework still attached to its back.
Elizabeth Swale, Toffee's owner, said: "I couldn't believe what had happened - I was shocked and disgusted that someone could do this to Toffee."   He was treated at the Everton PDSA Pet Aid Hospital.   The vet who treated Toffee, Emma Rayner, said: "The burn to his back was very deep and must have been extremely painful.  "He has recovered well but we are keeping a close eye on his back, it is unlikely his fur will ever grow again."

November 5 2002, BBC NEWS,  Haul of fireworks stolen
A lorry container holding fireworks worth about £15,000 have been stolen from an industrial estate in Edinburgh.
The fireworks were in a steel shipping container taken from outside business premises, according to the police.
Four hundred cartons of the potentially dangerous rockets, bangers and sparklers were taken.
The haul of Chinese-manufactured "Men Shuin" fireworks included Apollo Ascent Rockets, Skuds, Screaming Demon Rockets, Mammoth Gold Sparklers and Etna Eruption Fountains.
Police have appealed for information following the theft on 1 November.
The 20ft container was parked outside International Food and Gifts on the Peffermill Industrial Estate, Kings Haugh.
A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said the fireworks were stolen for resale.
He said: "The thieves must have had some sort of lifting gear to hoist this very large and heavy container onto a large vehicle or truck."
The same container was broken into last month when fireworks worth £200 were stolen.

November 5 2002, Burton Mail - Activists accused of launching missiles
ANIMAL rights activists have been accused of launching firework missiles into the garden of a farm worker, narrowly missing his three-year-old child's bedroom window.  Two fireworks exploded in the 33-year-old's garden and two exploded in the garden of his 81-year-old neighbour, Margaret Chamberlain, in the early hours of Friday.  They were woken by four loud bangs at 5.45am, but it was not until later that they found the missiles inches away from their homes.
The neighbours believe campaigners from Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs may be responsible because the 33-year-old works at the controversial farm in Newchurch where the Hall family breeds guinea pigs for medical research.  The activists were blamed in September for mounting a smear campaign against the man when leaflets were distributed around Horninglow falsely stating that he was a paedophile and had been convicted by a Scottish Court.  In the latest attack fireworks attached to pieces of copper piping landed beneath the bedroom window of the man's three-year-old son and in Mrs Chamberlain's garden.
The victim's partner of four years and mother of his two sons said: "I thought that bombs were going off because the noise was that loud. The fireworks could have gone through my son's window and could have been fatal.  "I believe it is the work of the campaigners because they throw fireworks all the time at the farm. I think they were trying to frighten our children. They will stop at nothing."  Mrs Chamberlain said: "We know who it is that has done this. I don't think it is children messing about because I doubt they would have attached the fireworks to copper piping.  "The fireworks could have easily gone through my window."
Police have been informed about the incident.
Amanda Richards, a spokesman for Save the Newchurch Guinea Pigs, said: "We do not know anything about this and are not aware of any farm worker living in that area.   "We are a legal group that demonstrates outside the farm and tries to publicise what is going on there. We condemn violence."

November 5 2002, Burton Mail - FIREWORKS ATTACK ON COPS
POLICE have come under attack from a gang of yobs hurling fireworks.  Officers were called to the Uxbridge area last night following a string of complaints from residents.  They said a group of 24 youths were throwing fireworks at cars, into gardens and at people.  When police arrived, they too came under attack from the youths.
Burton Local Policing Unit (LPU) Inspector Neil Hulme issued a warning to the perpetrators today and called for members of the public to help identify them.
Uxbridge ward councillor Sue Marbrow told the Mail: "It was absolute hell. It sounded like machine guns going off all through the night.  "They were throwing handfuls of fireworks at people, including the police."
Councillor Marbrow said last night's problems were the worst experienced in the area and said she feared problems could continue for Bonfire Night tonight.  She said: "On the whole, the problems have not been as bad as last year in the weeks leading up to November 5, but it seems they were saving all the fireworks up for last night."
Inspector Hulme confirmed that his officers had come under fire from around two dozen youths. He said: "We have been running a specific operation regarding fireworks this year and overall complaints have been down 80 per cent.  "It just saddens me that one small section of the community cannot act responsibly and have got no consideration for residents in the area.  "As a result of last night, I will be looking at staff levels in Uxbridge and perhaps try to put more officers there.  "These people are acting completely recklessly and, if they can be identified, they will be arrested and brought to court charged with very serious offences."
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Burton Police on 01283-565011 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800-555111.

November 5, 2002, Daily Record,, Remember, remember this tonight
A young dad who lost half his hand in a firework accident three weeks ago issued a Bonfire Night warning yesterday.  Scott McAllister, 29, said: "My life will never be the same again. I just hope people see my picture and stay well clear of fireworks.'
Car trader Scott, from Cumbernauld, picked up a rocket which had failed to go off at a friend's party in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.  When it exploded, he lost his thumb and index finger and had the tips of his middle and fourth fingers blown off.
He was also left with two perforated eardrums as well as eye and face wounds.
Scott said: "I have had three weeks to come to terms with this accident and it still hasn't sunk in. It was my own fault. "The instructions on the back of the rocket state clearly that if it doesn't go off, you shouldn't go back and pick it up. "I just hope other people can learn from my mistake."

November 5 2002, icBirmingham - Yobs 'hell bent' on bonfire mayhem
Firemen were today bracing themselves for Bonfire Night celebrations, after being stretched by a huge number of emergency calls. Crews around the city were snowed under last night as the Hindu Diwali Festival of Light began and the build-up to tonight's fireworks displays gathered pace. Fire chiefs said many of the 999 calls were the result of youngsters "hell bent on setting something alight".  There were still dozens of legitimate emergencies.
A man, his pregnant wife and their eight-year-old son were taken to City Hospital suffering smoke inhalation after they woke at 11.15pm to find their terraced house in Uplands Road, Handsworth on fire, started by candles left burning for Diwali.
Another man was taken to City Hospital with burns to his hands caused by a Catherine Wheel exploding at a party in West Road, Hampstead. Two men were taken to the same hospital after a firework blew up in their faces at Winder-mere Road, Handsworth.
A serious blaze involved a pair of vacant three-storey houses in Westminster Road, Handsworth at 7.50pm. They were hit by arsonists and it took more than 20 firemen three hours to deal with it.
Elsewhere, teenagers let off fireworks on buses, lit rubbish bins at tower blocks and set property on fire. A gang attacked Yasmins Balti takeaway in Ormond Road, Frankley with a large firework. No one was injured.
Sheldon fire station officer Clive Mason said: "We have enough legitimate incidents without those started by these idiots."

November 5 2002, icCoventry - Firework scares dog into attacking
A man was attacked by his own dog after it was startled by children letting off fireworks. Rowland Howkins suffered multiple cuts, bruises and cuts to his arms, and needed hospital treatment when his German Shepherd dog attacked him in a city park.  And today, as thousands were preparing to celebrate Bonfire Night, the 48-year-old was contacting city MP Jim Cunningham to back the call for a get-tough on fireworks.
Mr Howkins, of Mary Slessor Street, in Willenhall, was out walking Mint, aged ten, with his son Alan, aged nine, in parkland behind his home at 12.15pm on Sunday when he was suddenly attacked by his normally-placid dog.
The father-of-two, who used to work at Peugeot's Coventry plant, said he could see youngsters near flats in Mary Slessor Street, letting off the fireworks.  As he was talking to a friend near the middle of the field, one firework landed very close by.  Mr Howkins said: "I turned and the dog lunged across me. I pulled my arm away, and he bit the inside of my left arm.  "The next moment he came the other side of me and grabbed hard on the sleeve of my jumper on my right arm."
The powerful dog ripped down the sleeve and the side of the jumper on Mr Howkins' chest, and he eventually managed to take it off with one arm, while trying to keep Mint at bay with the other.
He added: "I wanted to give him the jumper to bite on, but he wouldn't take it and instead attacked the underneath of my right arm four times with quick bites.  "I was in a panic. My son was trying to grab hold of the dog and rather than him getting bitten I pushed him out of the way.  "At the same time the dog was trying to pull down at my arm to get at my face.  "It was so quick - about the fifth time he went for me he wouldn't let go and I couldn't pull away - the pain was excruciating."
Alan, who attends St Anne's Primary School, in Willenhall, ran back up the field to his home to alert mum Kim, aged 32, to what was happening.  He said: "I told mum, dad's getting attacked by Mint. I thought he was going to get his head ripped off."  After Mint was brought under control and taken home, Mr Howkins was taken to Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital where he was given a tetanus jab, treated with antibiotics and had his injuries bandaged. Doctors have told him the injuries will take about two weeks to heal.  The animal lover, who also has two cats, another German Shepherd, and three rats and four hamsters, said Mint will not be put down.
He added: "Had it been my son then it would have been a different story and I would have no choice. But had it not been for the mindless idiots with the fireworks in the beginning then it would never have happened."
Coventry City Council is to push the government for tough new rules to stop fireworks being set off at all hours.
It will ask for bylaws to restrict licensing and limit their times of use.  Mr Howkins added: "Fireworks should be banned altogether because we have had it day and night for three weeks and it is dangerous."

November 5 2002, icHuddersfield - Safety plea as firework injuries go up by 40%
FIREWORKS injured 1,362 people last year, accident prevention campaigners revealed on the eve of Bonfire Night. And nearly 600 people were injured at private bonfires.  Injuries caused by fireworks rose by 40% in 2001 - the worst figure since 1995.
Sarah Colles, home safety adviser for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, urged people to attend public bonfires and firework displays.  She said: "If people have to have fireworks at home, they need to be just as careful as the organisers of the large events.  "Accidents often arise because people buy fireworks and don't even bother to read the instructions or the fireworks code.  "Nearly 600 people were hurt at family parties last year. Most of the other accidents happened in the street."  "More than half of last year's accidents involved people under the age of 18 who should not be getting their hands on fireworks."
RoSPA advise never using accelerants like petrol or meths to get the bonfire going.
Fires should not be lit near sheds, fences, hedges or houses and care should be taken when lighting sparklers.
Sparklers should never be given to children under the age of five.
Never wave them near someone else and always wear gloves, preferably leather ones.
When the sparkler has finished, put it into a bucket of water straight away and leave it there.
RoSPA also recommends:
* Fireworks should be kept in a closed box
* Use a torch to read the instructions
* Keep naked flames away from fireworks, except when ready to set one off.
* Light the firework at arm's length with a taper and stand well back.
* Never return to a firework once it has been lit
* Do not put fireworks in pockets or throw them
* Direct rockets away from spectators
* Make sure the bonfire is out before leaving.
For the latest RoSPA factsheet, the Firework Code and statistics, visit the RoSPA website.www.rospa.com and click on factsheets and home page.

November 5 2002, icHuddersfield - Vicious thugs spark mischief night misery
YOBS left a trail of Mischief Night misery and damage in their wake. Vandals across the town kept both the police and fire services stretched with a spate of arson attacks - often involving fireworks - and criminal damage.
Dozens of calls flooded into the police last night and officers said today the unruly behaviour went far beyond being innocent pranks.
One elderly couple were terrified when a large firework - possibly an air bomb - exploded when it was shoved through the letterbox of their home on Lime Grove in Golcar at 6.30pm.  It did not damage their house, but a lit firework pushed through the letterbox at a house on Mint Street in Marsh at 9.50pm burned a carpet and three-piece suite.
Vandals put a lit firework into a postbox at Elland Post Office on Saddleworth Road in Elland and firefighters were called to it.
Youths were reported to be throwing fireworks around at Ainley Top, Fartown, Moldgreen, Marsh, Cowlersley, Bradley, Honley and Oakes.
Sgt Bob Filby, of Huddersfield police, said: "We had reports of eggs being thrown at windows which is a nuisance prank - but some of the yobs went beyond that by throwing stones and misusing fireworks. When this happens, it moves away from pranks and on to criminal damage.  "It is terrible that they behave like this, but people who know who is responsible can let us know by phoning the Stop The Yobs hotline and leaving their own name and number."  "We had a very busy night dealing mainly with gangs of youths causing people needless upset and distress. That is why it is important people help us to tackle this yobbish behaviour."

November 5 2002, icScotland - VOICE OF SCOTLAND
TRADING Standards Officers caught more than 50 per cent of traders in Edinburgh selling fireworks illegally. The time has come to either ban fireworks or sell them only from officially licensed establishments.
More people are killed and injured by misuse of fireworks here every year than were killed or injured by handguns, yet there seems to be no move to stop their sale.
Every death or injury by fireworks is 100 per cent avoidable. It is too late for this year, but I hope that by next year there will be no fireworks available to the public, making our streets safe. - R. Nicholl, Glasgow.

November 5 2002, icSurreyOnline - 'Trick or treat' terror
TERRIFIED residents were subjected to a spate of attacks by gangs of up to 30 "trick or treaters" marking Halloween.  Surrey Police said it received more calls in just eight hours than it would normally get in 24 hours last Thursday.
The Tadworth and Banstead areas were worst affected by the trouble-makers.  Lit fireworks were put through letterboxes, eggs were thrown at windows and a 51-year-old woman was sprayed in the face with a liquid substance and had her moped stolen in Troy Close.  About 30 calls were made to police between the hours of 6pm and midnight by frightened residents.  Officers are hunting a couple in a white Ford Transit van who are believed to be responsible for a number of incidents involving fireworks.
The pair threw one into a taxi in Rectory Lane, Woodmansterne, and a firework was also pushed through the letterbox of Jades Chinese Takeaway in the same road.
A lit firework was also thrown into the bar of the Woodman Public House in Woodmansterne Street and one was shoved through the letterbox of a house in Marbles Way, Burgh Heath, at about 9pm.
The occupants were at home but luckily the firework did not set the house alight.
A group of 30 youngsters were seen in the road at the time.
A 16-year-old was later arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and assaulting a police officer.

November 5 2002, icWales - Farmers warning over fireworks
AS thousands of people enjoy traditional November 5 bonfires this evening, farmers are asking the public to be aware of the potentially hazardous effects of fireworks near farmland.  The plight of household pets at this time of year is well highlighted, but the harm fireworks can cause to livestock is not always so well documented.
A recent RSPCA survey revealed that many people want loud fireworks banned from public use and restricted to organised displays because of the possible harmful effects on pets.  Chris Laurence, the RSPCA's chief veterinary officer, said, "We are horrified by the number of animals brought to us for emergency care as a result of firework injuries.  "But at the same time, the society recognises that people in the UK enjoy holding and attending firework displays.  "We would welcome any effort by the industry to reduce noise levels of fireworks sold for public use.
"If `quieter' fireworks were used responsibly, we hope people would still be able to enjoy the spectacle without the cost to pets and wildlife."
Dogs and cats feature highly on the casualty list, but says the RSPCA significant numbers of horses and wildlife are also harmed.  The charity is collating evidence on low-noise fireworks to establish whether they could reduce fear among animals and see if the devices can be made with a maximum noise level.  The problems of farming close to urban areas have been highlighted in recent weeks, but on Guy Fawkes night those problems can be exacerbated.  "Everyone knows of the dangers to household pets from fireworks, but perhaps less well known among the general public is the harm that they can cause to livestock," said Alan Morris of the Farmers' Union of Wales.  "As a union we do urge everyone who uses fireworks to use their judgment and not to set them off anywhere near farmland. Sudden loud explosions can cause enormous distress to livestock, whether they are in open fields or sheltering in barns.  "Particular problems occur for farms located on the urban fringes, where householders may be unaware of the effect their firework parties can have on farm animals.  "We are also concerned about the serious damage that could be caused to farms by stray fireworks. It only takes a spark to ignite a barn full of hay, ruining a year's work and causing thousands of pounds of damage.  "The FUW appeals to everyone who intends to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night to follow all the safety precautions and to make farm safety a priority."
Farmers do not want to sound like kill-joys, but the public should exercise caution, said Dan Jones of the National Farmers' Union Cymru.  "We know that many will attend organised bonfires and fireworks events which have greater control and keep to the firework code. There are many others, however, who let off fireworks at random, which is a great source of concern.  "There are many powerful fireworks on the market and these rockets go a long way and could cause a fire. They also frighten the farm animals, particularly dogs."

November 5 2002, ManchesterOnline, Boy's hand blown off by rocket
A TEENAGER had his right hand blown off when he picked up a huge display firework. Adam Sotheron, 18, lit the firework on wasteland in Bond Square, Higher Broughton, Salford last night.  It is believed he then picked up the three-and-a half-foot "Bad Boy'' rocket which exploded causing devastating injuries to his hand.
The firework - embossed with a picture of cartoon character Denis the Menace - had "display only" written on it.
Today Adam was recovering in Wythenshawe Hospital with his family at his bedside after being transferred from North Manchester General.
Station Officer Terry McDermott of Greater Manchester Fire Service said: "The firework was a rocket-type. It would appear he had been holding it. He had been trying to light it but was having difficulty igniting the fuse. It then exploded unexpectedly in his hand.  "According to the instructions it should be placed in a mortar tube to be launched and people should be 25 metres away.  "This tragedy reinforces the fact that all fireworks are dangerous when mishandled, even smaller garden fireworks. This incident was particularly severe because of the huge amount of gunpowder in the firework.  "These fireworks are like a bomb. And they have enough force that if they go off in your possession you are likely to lose limbs, which is what has happened in this case."
Adam, of Hartis Avenue, Higher Broughton, was with another youth when the accident happened. The fire service seized a second identical rocket from the teenagers.
Chief Inspector Nigel Bonser of Salford Police said: "We are making inquiries into the incident and how the firework came to be in the possession of the young man.'' Adam is the second Greater Manchester teenager to lose his hand in a firework accident.
Last night the MEN reported how a 15-year-old boy from Bury had his hand blown off while trying to light a large firework at Elton High School. The teenager, who was not a pupil at the school, lit the massive firework at about 10.30pm on Thursday and put it in a classroom cupboard.  When it failed to detonate he opened the cupboard and reached inside to grab the firework which then blew up causing massive injuries to his hand and chest.
Surgeons were unable to save his hand and the boy remains critically ill in Fairfield Hospital.
As reported in the MEN last week police seized an arsenal of highly dangerous fireworks being sold to children on the black market. Officers discovered hundreds of fireworks - including some that can only be sold to people with explosives training - being sold to youngsters from the back of a van and a car boot in Wythenshawe.
Up to half were extremely powerful Category Four display fireworks.
Greater Manchester Fire Service dealt with 228 incidents in a 12-hour period up to 5.30am today. In four incidents fireworks caused injury or damage to property.
Kelly Sutcliffe has a lasting reminder of just how dangerous fireworks can be. The pretty 20-year-old Manchester Airport worker has been left scarred for life after being struck on the face, chest, chin and wrist by a firework at a party last New Year's Eve. Kelly has backed the MEN's campaign to ban sales of fireworks to the public.
And she is suing the firm which supplied the firework that injured her in a bid to prevent others from going through the same ordeal she suffered. A hard-hitting M.E.N. dossier on firework incidents includes the harrowing story of a pregnant woman who lost her baby after one hit her the stomach.
The Greater Manchester mother told how she suffered a miscarriage after the firework was pushed through her letterbox by young thugs. The woman almost died.

November 5, 2002, Manchester News, Fireworks dossier handed over
THE Manchester Evening News handed the government a terrifying dossier highlighting the injuries and devastation caused by fireworks today (Tuesday).
The M.E.N. is campaigning for a ban on the public sale of fireworks and urging people to attend only organised displays.
A spokesman for Trade Minister Melanie Johnson said she would read the dossier "with interest". The minister has pledged to consider whether controls should be tightened.
"We are pleased the Manchester Evening News is raising the issues of public safety and we are taking a number of steps," said the spokesman.
The dossier includes dozens of news stories about lives devastated by fireworks and a plea from the editor, Paul Horrocks, who appeals to the government to prevent over-the-counter sales completely and to restrict the use of fireworks to qualified operators. "The figures speak for themselves: 1,362 people were injured by fireworks in Britain last year, a 40 per cent increase on the previous year.
"Last year also saw a 60 per cent increase in people being injured by fireworks in the street," said Mr Horrocks.

November 5, 2002, Manchester News, Death of Megan
Virtually the whole country at this time of year is transformed into something approaching a war zone by excessive release of over-powerful fireworks. For many weeks, we and our pets are forced to endure stress caused by selfish louts who use fireworks as pseudo grenades and bombs with the sole intention of causing a nuisance and reinforcing their `macho' image. Each year the explosive fireworks become more powerful, so now is the time for the Government to curtail the sale of these to the public, thereby easing the burden on us, our pets and on our already hard-pressed emergency services.
K. W. Doncaster

November 5, 2002, Manchester online,  Stay Safe Campaign
I have just attended the Heaton Park (organised?) bonfire and fireworks display. There were fireworks being let off within the spectators, not by the organisers, but by teenagers with a large audience, why was this allowed to happen?
J. G. Tottington

November 5, 2002, Manchester online,  Stay Safe Campaign
I agree with many of Anthony Perkins comments, particularly since it appears that the majority of the devastating injuries sustained from fireworks stems from the misuse of improperly acquired fireworks. However, I also feel that not everybody can be trusted to enjoy themselves safely with BS-compliant store-bought fireworks. In light of this, I feel that it would be most sensible to restrict the sale of fireworks only to people aged 21 and over, and continue to encourage the excellent police work in cracking down on illegal suppliers and distributors.
A. Manchester

November 5, 2002, Manchester online,  Stay Safe Campaign
Unfortunately, as long as fireworks are on sale to the general public there will be people who will misuse them. One of my neighbours has a child under 16 who has been setting off rockets day and night for the last three weeks. Either ban them from public sale, or have them on sale for one day only and enforce regulations regarding the age of the buyer.
E. Chorlton, Manchester

November 5, 2002, Manchester online,  Stay Safe Campaign
Ban them all now! They are just too dangerous now.
N. Manchester

November 5, 2002, Manchester online,  Stay Safe Campaign
It seems to me that there is only one person in favour of home use of fireworks, yet he is dominating these columns with his ramblings and worryingly loony insistence on listing the kind of fireworks he has bought. Very odd indeed, and he himself is probably the best argument for banning fireworks from public sale and use. The public nuisance, the escalating injuries, the cost to emergency and medical services...they are the real issues, not the 'rights' of some crackpot
P. Wigan

November 5 2002, Preston Today, Rocket blasts through roof
A deadly firework crashed through a conservatory roof and hit a terrified 10-year-old girl eating dinner with her family. Sarah Laraway suffered burns to her leg when the powerful rocket, only meant for professional displays, burst through the ceiling, missing her head by inches.  She was sitting with her parents, Brenda and Craig and sister Fay, 13, at the time of the terrifying accident on Sunday night.  And it has also caused up to £1,000 damage to the conservatory, built just four years ago at their home in Turner Avenue, Lostock Hall.
Sarah, a pupil of Lostock Hall High School, was treated for blisters to her leg and feet and has been having nightmares, Mrs Laraway said today.
It is the latest incident to fuel calls for a ban on fireworks, except in organised displays.
We revealed last week how 94% of our readers voted for an overall ban on the general sale of fireworks.  Today, tighter controls were backed by trading standards chiefs in Lancashire who said this latest incident highlighted the sale of display fireworks, which they fear is spiralling out of control.
Mrs Laraway said: "My husband and I were in the kitchen when we heard the explosion in the conservatory.
"Sarah was screaming.  "It was terrifying, then we saw this 3-inch hole in the roof where the firework came through. "The roof is strong enough to park a car on, so for this rocket to break through so easily shows how powerful these things are. "We kept the firework and tried to contact the manufacturers whose name is written on the side, but they are not listed on the Internet or directory inquiries."
The rocket, made by Astra Fireworks based in Burton-in-Trent, has a clear warning on the side stating it should be used only for display purposes and spectators to be kept at least 25 metres away.  "There were a lot of fireworks going off that night," Mrs Laraway said. "It would be impossible to say where it came from.  "Sarah is still very traumatised. It was so close to her head, it could have been a lot worse. To be honest, I was in shock for a while. It's not the sort of thing you expect when you're having a quiet evening meal with your family."
Lancashire has one of the highest numbers of serious firework injuries in Britain, with more than 200 reported every year.  Jim Potts, chief trading standards officer for Lancashire, revealed today the incident is one of a disturbing number being caused by larger display fireworks falling into the wrong hands.  He said: "We are fed up with these larger and larger fireworks appearing on the market.  "The whole issue of the distribution and display of these fireworks must be tackled. We are getting several hundred complaints a year from the public.  "People are heartily sick of fireworks noise nuisance and misuse. The whole industry needs to tighten up.  "Sadly, this type of incident involving the young girl no longer surprises or shocks me."
Lancashire Fire Service Assistant Chief Fire Officer Paul Richardson said: "If people want to see bonfires and fireworks, it is preferable and safer for them to go to an organised display."

November 5, 2002, Sun, Firework boy blows hand off at school, Lad's agony as 'dud' explodes
A boy's hand was blown off when a giant firework he lit in a classroom exploded in front of him.
The 15-year-old entered the school at night and placed the special display pyrotechnic in a cupboard, lit it and closed the door.
When it failed to go off, he opened the cupboard and tried to grab the firework to see what had gone wrong. It blew up, totally destroying his hand and causing him serious chest injuries. Seventeen windows in the classroom -used for music lessons -were shattered and curtains were left in shreds. 
Police said the boy is not a pupil at the Elton High School in Bury, Greater Manchester. He was recovering in hospital last night.
Detectives are still waiting to question him.  Headteacher Neil Scruton said: "It would appear a youngster has attempted to light a large-scale firework. "This has been a very shocking incident for us. We are doing our best to get on with our usual business while repairs are carried out.  A police spokesperson said: "At
approximately 1O.3Opm on Thursday evening we received reports that a teenager had injured his right hand and suffered a chest injury. Inquiries are still ongoing."
Meanwhile, villagers in Sherston, Wills, were planning a virtual bonfire after insurers hiked the premium for their annual firework night from £237 to £2,500.
Villagers will sit round a l6ft-high fake blaze, with flashing lights, strips of coloured plastic an d a smoke machine.

November 5 2002, This is Cheshire, Shops sold fireworks to children
FOUR retailers in Warrington have been caught selling fireworks to children following a crackdown by Trading Standards.  In the run up to Bonfire Night, officers have visited more than 50 firework outlets in an under-cover campaign and four shop-keepers were caught selling goods to underage youngsters.
It is against the law to sell fireworks to children under 18 and last year, Trading Standards officers received complaints about excessive noise, the lack of control and misuse of fireworks.
During the investigation, young volunteers went into the town's shops to buy fireworks but only gave their correct age when they were questioned by the assistants.  Peter Astley, Trading Standards manager, said: "We are very concerned that there has been a significant increase in firework related injuries involving 11 to 17-year-olds over the past few years.  "We feel that by preventing young people from being able to buy fireworks it will help to reduce the number of such accidents."
A similar undercover campaign has been launched to combat alcohol being sold to children under 18.
Mr Astley said: "While we recognise that the results have improved since the alcohol test purchase programme, there are still too many illegal sales.  "We will be formally investigating all sales and those who repeatedly break the law can expect to be brought before the courts.  "This crime is easily preventable by traders adopting a strict proof of age policy. Traders should always request proof of age and not sell when there is any doubt about the age of an individual."

November 5 2002, This is Devon, Pets are suffering
Is THERE anyone out there who is as fed-up with fireworks as I am?  From the outset I wish it to be known that I am not a killjoy. Neither am I out to ruin businesses. However the apparently indiscriminate letting-off of fireworks is becoming the norm and interfering with everyday life for people like me who have pets.
I have one dog who is presently on medication because her life has become so miserable: she is a gorgeous collie cross who just happens to be noise-intolerant.
This intolerance - incapacity to the rest of us - manifests itself with panic attacks, violent shaking, laboured breathing and being too scared to venture out to the garden even for the call of nature.
I have no problem sitting with my dog, holding her, talking to her, trying to calm her down. The problem I have is that I should have to do this because of people who have no care of what they are doing - people who have no respect for the feelings of others.  This evening, while penning this column, the area where I live is like a war zone.  This is not the first time this topic has been aired in your column. Indeed, I remember reading last year about a couple whose dog died having been so frightened by fireworks. How often I think of this.
Fireworks are now used at every event and I understand a hotel not far from where I live has been licensed to use fireworks at wedding receptions. This means the problem my dog has to live with is going to become part of everyday life for her.
I understood there was going to be some control over the sale and, indeed, the use of fireworks. What happened to this? What happened to enforcement? Is the law which prohibits the use of fireworks in a public place still on the statute books?
I understand Plymouth MP Linda Gilroy is currently attempting to get a bill through Parliament to curtail the sale of fireworks throughout the year and to get some sort of enforcement for their use/sale.
I would encourage anyone who feels the way I do to write to her in support of her current actions.
C. G. Colebrook

November 5 2002, This is Hampshire, MP demands crackdown on fireworks
EASTLEIGH MP David Chidgey says it is time for the government to introduce tougher, compulsory controls over the sale and use of fireworks.  His November 5 plea comes as the Daily Echo revealed that Eastleigh police patrols are being stepped up to stop teenage tearaways from terrorising the town on Guy Fawkes night.
This follows the mayhem which broke out on Hallowe'en when yobs playing with fireworks in the borough's streets launched rockets at houses.  The Eastleigh MP has revealed that nearly 1,400 people were injured by fireworks in the United Kingdom in the four weeks around Bonfire Night last year.  Mr Chidgey said this was an increase of more than 40 per cent on 2000, despite the closeness of the Millennium celebrations.
Many more will have been frightened or kept awake and many thousands of pets terrified by indiscriminate and inconsiderate use of fireworks.  The Eastleigh MP said: "The spiralling increase in firework injuries is shocking. It points to a total breakdown in the current voluntary controls over the supply and use of fireworks.
"It is time for the government to introduce tougher, compulsory controls over the sale and use of fireworks.
"The government can do and must do much more to protect the community from dangerous and excessively noisy fireworks."
Mr Chidgey has supported calls in a debate in Parliament for the government to bring forward its proposed legislative ban on air bombs in order to support the British Fireworks Association voluntary code.
He is also backing the move to ensure environmental health officers have the necessary powers, funding and guidance to take timely action against antisocial, noisy and disturbing displays.

November 5 2002, This is Lancashire, Arson ruled out in mum and baby fire drama
A SUSPECTED arson attack that led to the rescue of a mother and baby from their smoke-logged flat was blamed on a stray firework today.   Sadia Bi, 24, and her two-month old son Shabab were pulled out fighting for breath after they inhaled smoke.   The fire on Pringle Street, Blackburn, started in the back yard but was so fierce it broke a ground floor window and sent smoke billowing into the family's corner shop and flat. They were treated for smoke inhalation at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and later allowed home.
DI Neil Hunter, of Blackburn CID, said: "We treated the fire as suspicious at first but now, because of the time of year, we think it was probably due to a stray firework.
"The family said they didn't know of anybody who had a grudge against them.
"Fire investigators said there was no evidence of accelerants used to light the fire and there was no evidence of a person having been into the yard.
"It could have been a discarded cigarette but at this time of year it was probably a stray firework. We are still investigating but we've scaled it down."
Station officer Andrew Barnes, of Blackburn Fire Station, said: "This fire could have had tragic consequences.
"When you using fireworks we advise having a clear dropping zone the size of half a football pitch around them.
"We would also ask parents to check their children don't have fireworks and that they're supervised by an adult at all times at all times when using them."

November 5 2002, This is Lancashire, Firework blows off boy's finger
A SEVERED finger was found in the grounds of a Bury school after a firework exploded in a teenager's hand.
The grisly discovery was made by staff at Elton High School in Walshaw Road the morning after the horrific accident.   Stuart Harvey Hamilton (15) now faces extensive surgery to repair his right hand.
Police are waiting to speak to the youngster to find out how the accident happened.   He is currently receiving specialist care at Wythenshawe Hospital.
It is understood that Stuart, of Green Street, Bury, was rushed to Fairfield General Hospital by a friend on Thursday night after the accident.  However, it was ten hours later that his severed finger and a pool of blood was found near to the Elton High school building.   It is not known why the boy was in the school grounds.
Headteacher Mr Neil Scruton declined to comment on the accident.   It is thought that Stuart is a former pupil at the school.
A police spokesman said: "We received a report at 10.30pm on Thursday that a boy had been taken to hospital with injuries to his right hand and chest.  "Inquiries as to how these injuries were received are ongoing."

November 5 2002, This is Nottingham, FAMILY BACKS OUR CAMPAIGN
A couple who nearly lost two children in a fireworks accident have backed the Post's Be Safe Not Sorry campaign.  Rosalind and Stephen Barney kept a bedside vigil for their children Edward, then aged 18, and Georgina, 15, after a horrific car accident on November 3, 2000.  The pair cheated death when a firework scared a horse enough for it to jump out of its field and into the path of their oncoming car.  Edward's nose had been completely smashed in the collision. It had to be restructured - and the Exeter University student still has small bits of metal on either side of his nose.  Georgina was also in a bad way. Her arm was bandaged because of a severed tendon and she had a deep cut on her forehead.
None of the family enjoys bonfire night quite so much any more.
Mr Barney, or Wymeswold, said: "There should definitely be a law licensing the sale of fireworks and tighter controls on who can buy and use them.  "It only takes one person acting stupidly to let off a firework around animals in the country for this sort of thing to happen again - and it could be even worse.  "I also think people in the country, especially farmers, need to be made aware of the effects that loud noises will have on their animals and lock them up at night."

November 5 2002, This is Nottingham, MELDREW VIEW OF ON-STREET FUN
I hope there were no firework accidents from the many parties taking place on Saturday night. My family and I spent the evening with relatives in the Porchester Gardens area of the city and we would all like to say a sincere 'thank you' to everyone who held parties in the area. The rain poured down, but the fireworks shot up into the sky and the natural valley contour of the area ensured that the rest of us benefited from the magnificent display.
Sitting in the dark, glass of wine in hand, enjoying the superb display through the window was an excellent way to spend an evening.
J. S. Southwell

November 5 2002, This is York, Mischief night brings mayhem
MISCHIEF Night brought scores of incidents across North Yorkshire last night.  Police handled reports of 113 incidents of youths hurling eggs and fireworks.  Firefighters were also stretched, attending 35 rubbish fires and firework-related incidents up to midnight, when the mayhem traditionally tails off.
Despite the level of incidents, both services said there had been no reported injuries.
Across the North Yorkshire Police force area, 58 incidents of youths throwing eggs were recorded as well as 55 incidents involving fireworks.
In York, police dealt with 18 fireworks incidents and 12 cases of egg-throwing. A police spokesman said that there were no injuries. He said: "Obviously youths throwing eggs cause a nuisance, and this was 58 incidents too many. "
A North Yorkshire Fire Service spokeswoman said: "We were kept pretty busy. Many of these calls were to skip fires, rubbish bins and the odd car. We have been very busy.  "Normally we receive one or two calls of this nature an hour. All of these calls have been of children setting fire to things."
Sgt Simon Wilson, of North Yorkshire Police's force control room at Newby Wiske, said: "We have had a number of calls about the usual mischief-related problems, such as fireworks being thrown or put through letterboxes."

November 5 2002, This is York, Why fireworks are no longer any fun at all
IT WAS the Sunday when strong winds and storms lashed the UK - October 27. At about lunchtime, nine-year-old Abigail Brayshaw and her sister Bethany, six, were playing upstairs in the bedroom of their home in Spalding Avenue, York. They should have been safe. But suddenly, out of nowhere, a firework smashed through the window, shattering the glass and setting fire to bed and carpet.
The children's grandmother, Joan Brayshaw, still shudders when she thinks about it. "How they were not hurt is a miracle," she said. "This rocket came straight through the window. It shattered the glass and ripped the curtain to shreds. One of the children was standing up in the bedroom near the door, the other was sitting on the bed.
"The rocket landed on the bed, burned the bedding and one of the children's comfort blankets, then whizzed around the room, burning the bedroom carpet, then whizzed into the landing and burned the landing carpet too."
The children's dad, Joan's son Steven, heard the children's screams and rushed upstairs in time to see the rocket flying around the bedroom and out into the landing.  "He looked out of the window and saw a lad at the back just throwing them around, willy nilly," Joan said.   
Mercifully, neither Abigail nor Bethany were injured - at least not physically. Mentally, said Joan, they will take a long time to get over it.  "They are absolutely terrified now," she said. "They ring me up, crying on the phone, and say `I don't want to go into that bedroom, Nana, I'm so frightened'. And they don't want any fireworks any more. Normally we make a big thing of it, jacket potatoes, hot dogs, the lot, but they don't want to know now."
It's just the kind of incident which, every year, re-ignites the debate over whether fireworks are simply too dangerous. Joan believes there is no argument. They are - and should be banned, for everything except properly-organised public displays.  "It is too dangerous now," she said. "People just don't have respect for fireworks any more."
She is not the only one to think that. York's Liberal Democrat councillor Andrew Waller has put forward a motion, backed by other members of City of York Council's Liberal Democrat group, which if passed would see the council calling on the Government to tighten restrictions on sale and use of fireworks.  The motion, which will go before the council on November 12, calls on ministers to give local authorities the power to restrict the period
during which fireworks can be bought to the week before Bonfire Night, and the week before New Year's Eve. It also calls for regulations to make fireworks quieter, and for a licensing scheme to be established for shops selling fireworks.
The issue was first raised, Coun Waller said, at a ward committee he attended at Westfield School on October 24. The meeting kept being disrupted by fireworks. "People were saying there needed to be a tightening of restrictions, because we were being subjected to this noise and mayhem for weeks at a time," he said.
It is not only the noise and disruption, he points out - fireworks are explosives, and they are dangerous. He points to the recent case of fireworks being posted through a post box in York. "Anything could have resulted from that. Depending on how it blew up, it could have set off a gas main."
He would like to see firework sales restricted to just two days before November 5 and New Year's Eve, for fireworks to be sold only in large `job lots' suitable only for organised displays - so discouraging individual buyers - and for bangers to be banned altogether.
"They are completely unacceptable," he said. "I don't think they add to the sum total of the joy of humanity."
Another who thinks fireworks should only be used at public displays is the Mayor of Selby, Coun Colin Trevor. He was injured when a firework he was lighting at a public display in Selby blew up in his face. But his injuries could have been far worse, he says, if he had not been wearing a protective mask and visor - as he might not have been if it had been a small family do.
The truth is that such accidents have become almost commonplace in recent years: 14 injuries in North Yorkshire last year alone, according to Andrew Waller. So when is enough enough?
The fire service today issued its usual warnings about taking care and treating fireworks with the respect they deserve.
But for Joan Brayshaw, that's not enough. "People will say I'm a killjoy," she said. "But I think we're encouraging people to play with fire. All their lives we're telling children not to play with fire, don't do this, don't do that - and then we go and do this."

November 4, 2002, BBC News, Party's smoke without fire
Insurance costs have spoilt the firework celebration Villagers are hiring a smoke machine for a firework party - because soaring insurance premiums mean organisers cannot afford a real bonfire.  Revellers in Sherston, Wiltshire, plan to gather around a fake fire made of beanpoles, straw and orange paper.  They took the step after insurers raised the premium for covering the event from £237 last year to £2,470.
About 400 villagers are expected at the bonfire party on Saturday but organisers say they are worried worry many people may be put off because there is not a real bonfire.   Organisers will be using real fireworks Chief organiser Eric Thacker said: "We are very disappointed - Sherston is a small village and this is one of the highlights of the year.  "We are all trained to use the fireworks, which we are insured for separately by the supplier, and we have a lot of experience of building bonfires.  "The event is held on land owned by a local farmer, and the bonfire is roped off so no-one can get near it.  "It is the centrepiece of the celebrations, it really makes the evening, so we just don't know how this year's display will go."   But fellow organiser Mike Tarrant believes the unusual bonfire may bring in even more visitors than usual.  "We didn't plan it this way, but there has been a lot of interest in the virtual bonfire - it is the novelty effect.  "So it may be that we get more people from further away - we'll have to get some extra hot dogs and burgers in just in case."
Insurance companies say a compensation culture is to blame for the increase in costs - to cover the growing number of claims for relatively minor injuries.  Mr Thacker said: "The cost of insuring the fire has really jumped because there is only one company left that will do it.  "There have been so many litigation claims over the past few years that companies aren't prepared to take the risk."

November 4, 2002, Epolitix, Firework ban difficult says Blair
On the eve of Bonfire night, the prime minister has warned anti-firework campaigners that he will not back draconian measures to restrict the use of rockets and roman candles at home.
Accepting that it was "a very big issue", Tony Blair warned that it would be difficult to create laws that would end the misuse of fireworks.  He said that thousands of people had signed petitions calling for a ban on domestic use - but warned that there were important arguments on both sides.  "The hesitation is simply as to whether you go over the top in trying to regulate to tackle a particular problem. We just need to get the balance right," he said at his monthly press briefing.  "We have already introduced some measures to tighten up the law here. We just need to look at it a bit further."  The prime minister compared the issue with the rising number of criminal cases involving airguns. "It's another hot issue within the area of anti-social behaviour," he said.  "When you are approaching legislation on something like this you just have to be careful to get the balance right between dealing with the problem and ending up so heavily regulated that you actually prevent people enjoying things that they can do in a perfectly lawful way."

November 4 2002, Express and Star,  Call for end to bonfire fright
A Black Country MP took to the streets to help drum up public support for tough new fireworks restrictions.
West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey visited Wednesbury on Saturday to talk to residents and shoppers about the nuisance caused by reckless use of fireworks.  Mr Bailey set up a stand in the town centre to gather signatures for a petition calling on the government to change the existing laws on fireworks to limit the period of time each year in which they can be sold.  The MP said recent changes in the law had not done enough to curb the nuisance of fireworks being let off at all times of the year. The devices scare animals like guide dogs used for blind people.  Mr Bailey said: "Many local people have contacted me detailing the distress caused by the anti-social behaviour and noise from fireworks night after night and something has to be done about it."
Petition forms are currently being sent out to every residents association and veterinary practice in the constituency, and the signatures will eventually be presented 10 Downing Street in the New Year.

November 4 2002, Express and Star, Fears as yobs target pub drinkers
Yobs in Hednesford are terrorising drinkers by hurling fireworks at them as they leave a pub.  Distressed residents said youths were meeting outside the Samson Blewitt pub, where they had been causing a nuisance for several weeks.  "There have been growing problems with this gang being abusive and intimidating for some weeks now, and people are becoming frightened to go to the pub," said one customer.   "They have now started to throw fireworks at people as they leave the pub, which obviously could lead to very serious injuries.   "My husband and I left at around 9pm the other night and a firework sailed just past us, and I was so relieved our children weren't with us, it is totally irresponsible.  "People do take their children up there and if they get struck by a firework, or caught up in their behaviour, it could be disastrous," she said.  "I have called the police myself a couple of times but they do not seem to be taking the reports seriously, and someone could badly hurt," she added.  "Everyone is too scared to confront the gang because last time we did they came charging into the pub with a hammer and a metal bar and started a fight.  "The police did come on that occasion but the gang are still meeting in the same place every night and we need to reassurance of knowing the police are going to get rid of them," said the resident.
The licensee of the Rose Hill pub said: "We have been having trouble with these youths hanging around the car park outside the pub harassing customers for some time.  "We have told the police about it but the problem seems to be continuing," he said.
Sergeant Ian Gould of Cannock Police said the complaints had been taken very seriously.   "I am aware that there is a group of persistent and troublesome youths that are targeting that area, but their behaviour is not something we will tolerate," he said.  "We are putting resources into force that should resolve the situation," said Sgt Gould

November 4 2002, icBirmingham - Demand grows for firework laws
A Birmingham MP has called for firework licences to be introduced in order to halt an increase in serious injuries and to stop the illegal trade in pyrotechnics.  Dr Lynne Jones said new Government plans for on-the-spot fines for youths throwing fireworks did not go far enough and tighter controls on people buying rockets and bangers are needed.  The Labour MP for Selly Oak said licences issued to anyone wanting to use fireworks - for family parties or weddings and large events - would stop them being set off throughout the night.  Her comments came after some people in Birmingham raised a petition to restrict the sale of fireworks and reduce their noise level.
"The Government is moving in the right direction with bans on air bombs and fines for 18-year-olds throwing fireworks, but most are younger than 18, so it stands to reason that more needs to be done," Dr Jones said.
"Licences are a simple and effective way to stop the young getting their hands on fireworks and I want to see a ban on fireworks to everyone who does not hold a licence." She added that licences would also help to crack down on illegal firework sales as police could check buyers' details more quickly. She also urged families to stop having their own firework displays.
Dr Jones' comments come on the eve of Bonfire Night. With Diwali running throughout November, and Christmas celebrations beginning in December, fireworks are now used for more than two months and campaigners in Birmingham claim the extended season is a danger to the elderly and animals.
Coun Margaret Wells (Lab Stockland Green), chairman of the city council's Public Protection Committee, is calling for the noise level of fireworks to be reduced as well as the introduction of licences.  "We can't have people, like the elderly, frightened to leave their house for two months because of the threat of fireworks," she said.  "We don't want to end the fun of fireworks, but we do believe that there should be better regulations in place to stop them being set off at all hours of the night and in residential and built up areas."

November 4 2002, icLiverpool - Firework destruction
A PHONE box was destroyed after yobs lit a firework in it. The vandal attack happened last night in Anfield.
A gang of youths was seen running away from the payphone just before it exploded.  No one was hurt when the blast went off at 8.30pm on Arkles Lane near to where it meets with Anfield Road.  The firework was a high powered one which has left the BT phone box completely unusable.
Neighbourhood police officers are now trying to reassure the public and stop anymore misuse of fireworks that the area.  The police say that the explosion could have easily hurt someone if they had been standing nearby when it went off.  Liverpool response inspector Gary Williams said: "This criminal behaviour was reckless and could have quite easily have ended up causing serious injury.   "In any case the community have been deprived of their public telephone box until such time that the kiosk can be replaced.  "It is a blight on the lives of people in the local community and they should not have to put up with this sort of behaviour.  "I would urge anyone with any information which will lead to identifying the culprits to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

November 4 2002, icNewcastle - Retailers lauded in fireworks campaign
Shopkeepers in Sunderland appear to have got the message when it comes to selling fireworks to children.
In a recent exercise which involved a child volunteer visiting shops to try to buy fireworks, not one city trader was found to be breaking the law.
City trading standards officer Tom Terrett said today: "In the interests of public safety, each year we visit all known retailers of fireworks and with a selected number of shops we send children in to see if they're prepared to sell to under-18s.
"We're pleased to say that this year it's clear that retailers appear to be behaving responsibly and that's something we would congratulate them on.
"We do still have concerns about fireworks being sold illegally from homes and vans, and where we receive information about fireworks being sold in this way we do investigate."
Environmental health officers spent last week checking out the safety of organised displays across Sunderland.

November 4 2002, Leeds Today, Toddler hurt by firework vandals
LITTLE Lewis Ireland smiles bravely for the camera - his arm bearing the scars of an attack by firework thugs. The two-year-old was rushed to hospital after a rocket was hurled through the door of his Leeds home.  It exploded, setting fire to the sofa as he slept and scorched his arm.  Mum Nicola, 21, said: "Something has got to be done. These fireworks are lethal in the wrong hands."
The attack on the house on the Parklands estate, Seacroft, adds to mounting pressure on the Government over outdated firework laws. The YEP is campaigning for new legislation to limit sales to 10 days before Bonfire Night. We also want local authorities to be given more powers to regulate the trade.  Nicola said: "These kids aren't getting their fireworks from the shops. There are people on the estate selling them to anyone.   "If I hadn't dragged Lewis off the sofa he would have been burnt much worse.  "My daughter Kelsey is only 15 months and has probable cerebral palsy as well as lung problems. "I just thank God she was staying at a friend's house because the smoke alone would have put her in hospital."
Killingbeck police division, which covers the estate, dealt with 15 reports of arson caused by fireworks being thrown through doors of homes and businesses in October.  Detective Inspector John Lazenby said there had been a further five complaints of firework-related criminal damage and 160 general complaints about fireworks.
He said: "My biggest concern is that one of these fireworks will end up killing someone. There are illegal fireworks out there that are so big they have blown up phone boxes and cars.  "Incidents involving fireworks are a huge drain on police resources. We are right behind the YEP's campaign. The more pressure we can put on the Government to clamp down on fireworks the better."
Saturday's downpours helped to cut the number of West Yorkshire Fire Service call-outs.  The heavy rain put a damper on many pre-Bonfire Night celebrations and also cut down on the number of fires sparked by vandals.
A spokesman said that between 6pm on Saturday and 4am Sunday, there were 133 calls. That figure covered every fire incident in the county, including bonfires for which no separate figure was available.
"It was very quiet for the time of year, and we must put that down to the weather," he said.

November 4 2002, Local London, Tis the season to be making many noises
ONCE again, for the sixth year running, the "firework season" has started early.  From the middle of October until the new year a total of 12 weeks episodic loud explosions will be heard by your readers in what has become one of the most appalling examples of uncontrolled, aggressive, rampant anti-social behaviour the long-suffering residents of Greenwich borough have ever experienced.  It is as if a civil war has been declared out there, with air-bombs being hurled about aimlessly in our dense suburban streets night after night.
Yet the police, local authorities and community groups will not act.  I raised the issue in the summer of 2001 with the Greenwich Council Community Group at St Paul's School, in Wickham Lane, Plumstead, but was told by embarrassed councillors "nothing could be done about it".
I protested these explosions contravene many health, safety and noise abatement policies, which have recently been reinforced by European Union legislation.   To add to the madness, people have been calling on households and have personally handed out leaflets about anti-social behaviour.   One of the issues highlighted was noise nuisance.  When I complained about firework abuse the bloke didn't seem to have a clue what I was talking about!
So many different communities are now using the entire autumn and Christmas season for their firework celebrations this has frightened many anti-firework activists.   Local newspapers used to campaign for public firework displays only 20 years ago.  I plead with the News Shopper to back me up.  One obvious move would be to prohibit corner shops from selling banger fireworks completely, or to allow sales for only a very short period.
A. M. Abbey Wood

November 4, 2002, Manchester online, Stay Safe Campaign
The sooner your campaign gathers our local Councillors and MP's to support the ban , the sooner most of us will be happy, I would like to see other areas throughout the country aided by the local papers that they have follow suit and tackle the Government on a permanent ban on the sale of fireworks to the public and just have organised displays, as I write this message it just feels and sounds like I'm living in a war zone. Good Luck with the campaign and I hope you get lots more support.
H. N. & Family, Cheetham Hill, Manchester

November 4, 2002, Manchester online, Stay Safe Campaign
Yes Anthony but we don't want to hear them all year round!!! I'm sick and tired of it, I'll be glad if they are banned for good. I don't see why I should see my dog upset cos people decide to let them all year round and up to 11pm at night in the summer. What about the kids that go to bed at 7pm or 9pm? So it's right they should be woken up?? I don't think so.
S. Manchester

November 4, 2002, Manchester online, Stay Safe Campaign
If you ban fireworks from public sale, it will merely drive it underground to an illegal black market and despite that people will STILL get hold of them no matter what via the internet/illegal importers and traders AND bring in and use consumer fireworks from Europe. These are several times more powerful than fireworks sold here and could be even more lethal. There is also the danger that some people could end up making their own fireworks from household substances and things from the chemist, resulting in more dangerous situations. The other thing is that it's impossible to police container shipments of dangerous non-BS compliant fireworks that come into this country from the Far East every year and these go unnoticed until rogue traders get their hands on them. We don't need to ban retail sales, we could -make the selling periods law -punish parents and families of children involved in fireworks misuse -punish, fine and imprison 18 year olds who buy them for children -set times by law as to when fireworks can be let off i.e. before 9pm before and after Nov 5th and NOT after 11pm in summer -allow trading standards to revoke existing licences and refuse to licence retailers in future involved in underage sales of fireworks to youngsters -all year firework shops should be made to insist on two forms of id before customers can buy and take fireworks home
A. P. Accrington,

November 4 2002, ManchesterOnline, Stay Safe campaign wins backing
A MANCHESTER Evening News campaign to end the annual misery caused by fireworks was today (Monday) welcomed by the RSPCA.  The animal charity is calling for loud fireworks to be banned and is urging people to attend only organised displays after a poll showed almost three-quarters of the population backed a ban on the sale of loud fireworks.  The M.E.N is campaigning for a total ban on the public sale of fireworks after shock figures showed a 40 per cent leap in the number of people injured and disfigured by fireworks last year - the biggest rise in seven years.
Last year, 1,362 people were injured by fireworks - including almost 600 who were hurt at family fireworks parties - and more than half the injuries were suffered by youngsters under 18.
The MEN campaign for a total ban has been backed by a majority of readers and Middleton and Heywood MP Jim Dobbin.
A MORI poll for the RSPCA shows 71 per cent of those questioned thought loud fireworks should be restricted to public displays. Last year, 4,825 animals were treated for firework-related injuries or prescribed sedatives because they were terrified by loud bangs from fireworks. Earlier this month in Middleton a dog bled to death after it picked up a firework.
And in Rochdale a cat suffered severe burns when it was hit by a lighted firework.
The RSPCA is pressing for low-noise fireworks to be introduced and for people to only attend properly organised firework displays.  Kay Brandist, RSPCA north west regional manager, said: "The RSPCA does not want to ruin people's fun, but over the years we have become increasingly concerned by the physical and psychological injuries caused to animals by fireworks. We welcome the MEN's campaign to encourage people to only attend organised displays."

November 4 2002, This is Nottingham, FIREWORKS WILL KEEP FLYING...
Although I commend the efforts of Nick Palmer MP to highlight the nuisance of fireworks, I am perplexed as to where he will find the police necessary to "on the spot fine" the wrongdoers - that's if they catch them.
Perhaps he can reduce the twenty City Centre Task Force - twenty versus seventy thousand seems a loser anyway.
P. B. G. Bakersfield


November 4 2002, This is Worcestershire, Illegal sales taking sparkle out of bonfire nights
SHOPS in Worcestershire are still selling fireworks to youngsters and risk ending up in court, Trading Standards officers have warned.  And one local councillor is calling for the domestic sale and storage of fireworks to be banned altogether.  Steve Birch, Trading Standards operations manager said the organisation had been pleased with the responsibility shown by many shops in the lead up to this year's Bonfire Night, but added that work still had to be done.  "The level of compliance this year has been excellent, with no sales to young people from shops working with us," he said. "However, we are still receiving information about premises, which are said to be making illegal sales, so we shall be maintaining our vigilance. We want traders to keep theirs too."
He added that Trading Standards officers were committed to enforcing the regulations because of the danger of fireworks.  "Last year, there was a 40 per cent increase in the number of reported injuries through fireworks, with a most significant rise being among teenage boys," he said. "Our task is to prevent fireworks being sold directly to youngsters and to encourage everyone to follow the firework code."
City and county councillor for St John's, Richard Udall, believes only professional and licensed displays should be allowed.  "It is not my intention to be a killjoy, but to try and protect the public from the dangers of fireworks and from the dangerous people who misuse them," he said.  Coun Udall said residents of a large sheltered housing complex in his area were "scared and intimidated" by people misusing them.  Coun Udall has written to Worcester MP Mike Foster urging him to support a ban on the domestic sale of fireworks.
Any county traders who want advice on how to comply with the law regarding the sale of fireworks can contact Trading Standards on 01905 765399.

November 4 2002, This is York, Ban sale of fireworks
ON the Sunday when York was battered by high winds and rain, my granddaughters were playing in their bedroom when a lighted rocket firework shot through the window.
How they were not hurt by flying glass or failed to receive burns from the firework is a miracle. Mentally I cannot say the same because they are terrified. Glass was in the bedding, in the toy box, in the carpet, burn marks to the bedding, carpet and landing carpet, smoke filled the bedroom and the curtain was in shreds.
This was at 1pm in the afternoon, in Spalding Avenue. I am not a killjoy, but it is time to ban the sale of fireworks and have organised displays only.
My grandchildren, who were looking forward to fireworks, soup, hot dogs, sweets etc, don't want it now and I have no doubt will not have them ever again. They will be petrified every time a firework goes off.
J. B. Dringhouses, York.

November 4 2002, This is York, Firework blast injures mayor
AN EXPLODING firework hit a North Yorkshire town mayor in the face as he lit it at a public show.
Councillor Colin Trevor, who is the Mayor of Selby, was taken to hospital after the faulty rocket cut his chin and burnt his arm.  Fortunately, he was wearing a helmet with a protective visor.
Selby Town Council immediately cancelled the remainder of the show, held on the community field in Scott Road on Saturday.  Coun Trevor said: "The rocket was in a tube that it normally fires from, but it seemed to have a bit of plastic wedged inside which didn't allow it to come out.  "It exploded in the tube and I saw part of it come across to me. It hit the visor of my helmet, cut my chin and hit me on the arm."
Coun Trevor was released from hospital after treatment.  "We'd got through about half of the show, but a lot of the fireworks weren't going off because it was raining," he said today.
Letters were destroyed when firebugs put lit fireworks into a post-box in a York street.
Firefighters were called to the fire in the pillar box in Stray Road, Burnholme, at about 7.20 last night after receiving reports that two rockets had been put inside it. A dry powder extinguisher was used to tackle the fire to prevent further damage to the mail.

November 3, 2002, BBC News, Banning Fireworks Your Comments
We were inundated with e-mails after our story on Friday about a campaign to ban the sale of fireworks to the general public. Here's a selection of your views:
It seems a little strange that we consider it too dangerous to allow properly vetted and licensed adults to have hand guns yet anyone can walk into a corner shop and buy explosives.
T H, Coventry

My first memory of fireworks is unpleasant. A family friend was hit by a damp flare which resulted in facial injury. This was not set of by a person under 18 years of age but a middle aged father who was intoxicated. Despite that, I now enjoy firework displays and am planning a small display at home.
H A T, Lincoln

By trying remove all risks from our growing children we stop them learning the responsible level of risk taking. Banning fireworks is just another step in this process of trying to blame someone else for our own inability to have fun but take responsibility.
N, Bristol

We should ban fireworks. Last night in Birmingham, trick or treaters where throwing bangers into the drives of houses where they didn't get any treats. A case against both fireworks and trick or treating
P P, Birmingham

Many people enjoy putting on their own firework displays - and I am one of them. People should realise it's kids getting their hands on fireworks from newsagents that cause all the problems. Limit firework sales to reputable dealers and stop under 21's buying them. Don't take liberties away from one group of people because of the actions of others.
M B, Nottingham

These days fireworks start at least a month before Guy Fawkes night and continue until after Christmas. Apart from the injuries, the fireworks are getting larger (bigger bang) this is frightening all animals the practice should be stopped. Only commercial firework displays should be allowed. With no sale to the public.
M G, Worthing

Being woken up at two in the morning by some thick-necked lager lout is no fun. Idiots buy loud fireworks simply for their nuisance value. Fireworks now should only be used for public displays
C C, Nottinghamshire

It is time that the sale of fireworks to the public was banned. We are told each year to bring our pets in on bonfire night - unfortunately the bangs go on regularly from mid-October to after the New Year. Our local RSPCA shelter (which looks after small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs) has animals die of fright each year. I wonder how many wild animals die too?
R M, Medway

Why should everyone be punished because of some immature individuals? After all, rocks would be dangerous in the wrong hands, wouldn't they?
R, Southampton

November 3, 2002, Manchester online, Stay Safe Campaign
I have been listening to incredibly loud fireworks going off for weeks now, and am tired of having to console my poor terrified animals every single night. I believe fireworks should only be made available for organised displays and for one night only - the night they are meant to be used - November 5th. I enjoy watching a good organised display like anyone else, but when it's going on for months it's ridiculous. Of course there are responsible people out there, but there are also some very irresponsible ones. Why should we put up with innocent children and animals being injured every year for the sake of a few bangs?
A, Swinton

November 3 2002, Manchester online, Stay Safe Campaign
Many thanks to the organisers of last night's firework display at Boggart hole Clough, it was an absolutely fantastic display- well organised, well thought out and above all it proved that you don't have to waste your own money buying fireworks when displays like this are free and safe Roll on Heaton Park - Tuesday Note: I noticed there wasn't many fireworks going off elsewhere, perhaps the penny has dropped?
B. H. Blackley

November 3, 2002, Sunday Post, Mindless

A  Paisley bus driver prevented a serious accident when some idiot set off a firework on his vehicle, packed with women and children. 
Police have also been called to hundreds of firework incidents over the past few days and last Sunday we told how a Kirkintilloch family had their window shattered by a banger.
It's a scandal that irresponsible yobs could end up forcing the powers that be to consider a ban on fireworks, which are enjoyed by millions up and down the country on Guy Fawkes' Night.

November 3, 2002, Sunday Post, Fireworks
Does the First Minister seriously think monitoring who can have a licence to sell fireworks will sort out the outdated misery of Guy Fawkes Night?  This won't stop the yobs who put fear into everyone and all animals they come into contact with.  Once and for all, ban all but large supervised displays.
M M, Glasgow

November 3, 2002, Sunday Sun, Big three flout ban
Three stores belonging to Britain's top supermarket chains have been caught out selling fireworks to underage kids by the Sunday Sun.
We sent 16-year-old student Amy Bancroft into a number of shops across the region to buy bangers and rockets, which can cause horrific injuries if not handled properly. The legal age to buy fireworks is 18 but Amy, who turned 16 in June, was amazed at how easy it was to buy them with no questions asked.
Of the six outlets we approached, four sold her fireworks without question. As shame-faced managers from Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury launched an internal inquiry following our probe, Trading Standards boss Dave O'Brien has reacted with horror to our findings. He said: "I find it staggering these stores didn't challenge Amy about her age. "This is a very serious issue because today's fireworks are very powerful and can cause horrific injuries. "Last year the total number of injuries caused by fireworks went up 40 per cent with the increase for 11 to 17-year-olds rising by 55pc." According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, there were 1362 people injured by fireworks around bonfire night last year, 270 of them from the North. Many injuries result from youngsters buying and letting off fireworks without adult supervision.
Our first visit was to Asda in Ashington, Northumberland, where sharp-eyed staff immediately challenged Amy about her age and refused to sell her any fireworks.
However, when we visited Lin-Mor Direct, a small shop in nearby Morpeth, Amy was allowed to buy a five-pack of Rainbow Rockets costing £3.99. When confronted, manageress Linda Morris, said: "If there had of been any doubt then we wouldn't have sold her the fireworks. "But she was wearing make-up and she looks over 18-years of age."
Next up was the Asda store in Gosforth opposite the Regent Centre where Amy bought a huge firework costing £5.47 called a Colour Mine. Deputy manager Brian Smith commented: "We are treating this very seriously and will be investigating to see why this mistake occurred."
Then it was on to Sainsbury in Silksworth Lane, Sunderland, where Amy was yet again allowed to buy fireworks unchallenged. This time she bought a £3.99 pack of five large fountain-style fireworks called Crackling Storm. The deputy manager, Steve Topham, refused to comment, however a head office spokeswoman later said: "Our store colleagues have been well briefed on the rules regarding sale of fireworks. "The store involved was shocked to learn about this incident and is currently speaking to colleagues to reinforce these rules."
Our next port of call was Tesco in Belle Vue Way, Hartlepool where Amy bought two packs of fountain-style Storm Cones costing £3.99. David Cundell, a senior manager there, said: "We will be investigating the situation. If anyone appears to be under 18 years of age then staff should ask for identification."
Morrison's store in Morton Park Way, Darlington, was our last stop and staff refused to sell fireworks to Amy. Amy commented: "Overall, I was very surprised at how easy it was for me to buy fireworks at most of the stores. "They had signs up saying fireworks wouldn't be sold to anyone under 18, yet most of those serving me didn't bother to check."
Meanwhile, Dave O'Brien of Newcastle Trading Standards said the Sunday Sun investigation was a warning to all shops, large or small. He said: "Anyone who sells fireworks to under-18s can and will be prosecuted because it is a blatant infringement of the law. "Retailers caught doing so can face fines up to £5000 and/or six months in prison." Stores shocked at sales Asda, Ashington, Northumberland "I asked the assistant if I could buy some fireworks but she asked if I had any ID on me and when I said no she refused to sell me any." Store manager Gary Hindhaugh said: "I'm very pleased with the way my staff performed. We have had a lot of training on this issue."

LIN-MOR DIRECT, MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND "I asked the assistant if I could look at the fireworks. He took them to the cash desk and let me buy them without asking for my age or any ID." Shop manageress Linda Morris said: "We are very active in stopping youngsters buying fireworks. We have refused lots of children trying to buy fireworks this year."

ASDA, GOSFORTH, NEWCASTLE "I asked the assistant if they had any mine-style fireworks. He handed over the mine without asking any questions. I was served by a woman who also never queried my age." Deputy store manager Brian Smith said: "The staff will be questioned to find out what happened and will be given re-training. We recently had guidelines sent down from our headquarters and staff have been made aware of this."

SAINSBURY, SUNDERLAND "At this store I was shown the full selection of fireworks by an assistant. She took them to the cash desk for me. At no time was I asked my age." A Sainsbury spokeswoman said: "The store involved was shocked to learn about this and are speaking to colleagues to reinforce these rules."

TESCO, HARTLEPOOL "I went to the display cabinet and showed the woman which fireworks I wanted. She took them to the cash desk for me and never asked my age." David Cundell, a senior manager for Tesco in Hartlepool, said: "Our staff know they shouldn't serve anybody under 18. We will be investigating this further."

MORRISON'S, DARLINGTON, COUNTY DURHAM "I went to the display cabinet and began looking at the fireworks. The assistant seemed to be suspicious of me. When I told her which fireworks I wanted she said I needed ID before I could buy any." Deputy store manager Chris Elliott said: "I'm very pleased to see that our staff are carrying out what is legally required. All our staff are trained to be aware of underage purchasing and our policy is `if in doubt, refuse to sell'."

Big bangs put pets in peril Loud fireworks should be banned from public use and restricted to organised displays, according to the results of a new poll. The survey - commissioned by the RSPCA - revealed that more than half the UK population are worried about the effect they have on their pets. Last year in England and Wales nearly 5000 animals were either treated for fireworks-related injuries or prescribed sedatives because they were so frightened.

The poll coincides with a report from the Department of Education and Skills. It states that one in 10 adults in Britain could be putting themselves at risk on Bonfire Night because they have problems reading fireworks instructions. A spokesperson said: "There were more than 1000 people injured in fireworks accidents during the 2001 Bonfire Night period. "It's clear that adults are still putting themselves and others at risk by not following the instructions on fireworks. In some cases this could be negligence or forgetfulness, but others may be the result of reading problems."