August 29 2003, This is the North East, Council acts to curb sale and early use of fireworks
DARLINGTON council is taking the initiative in curbing the sale and public use of fireworks prior to the introduction of laws by the Government.
The trading standards department is writing to registered retailers to encourage them to delay firework sales until two weeks prior to November 5. They will also investigate storage conditions, provide information on underage sales and carry out some limited test purchasing.
On Tuesday, at a scrutiny committee meeting, Keith Atkinson, the council's assistant director of public protection, said: "Trading standards, environmental health and the warden service are working together to bring some control over fireworks.
"The Government has taken on board concerns from people and has built in some controls over fireworks into its Anti Social Behaviour bill and is supporting the introduction of a Fireworks Bill but they will not be in force this year."
He said that the laws would limit the sale of fireworks to set period, fireworks would be sold in boxes and not separately, that it would be an offence to set fireworks off after 11pm, and that community wardens would be given the power to confiscate fireworks.
The council will appeal to people to assist safety and reduce nuisance in a publicity campaign.
The Dolphin Centre will provide a fireworks display in the South Park and will work with the fire brigade and community wardens to provide talks to schools on the safe use of fireworks.
Leaflets will be distributed by retailers as fireworks are sold, wardens will examine the remains of fireworks and pass on any information on unregistered material and the Town Crier will be used to display a code of practice on safe use and avoiding nuisance.
Mr Atkinson added: "We can only go so far with publicity and we hope it will minimise the problems. In the future the scrutiny committee may want to examine the legislation when it comes out to see what resources are needed to enforce it.
"Middlesbrough council is also hoping that local authorities across the Tees Valley will work together to control the use of fireworks."

August 28 2003, This is Bradford, Letters to the Editor - Firework plea
SIR,- This is an open letter to Anne Cryer and Christopher Leslie, MPs for this district. When are you going to do something about the ever increasing nuisance of fireworks?
We are being subjected to the damned nuisance almost every Saturday night, upsetting dogs, cats, horses and old folks. Do something about it or you will be kicked into touch come next election.
D. A Burley-in-Wharfedale

August 27 2003, The Courier-Mail, Chinese firework explosion kills 10
FIREWORKS stored in a home exploded in a town in China's South-east, killing at least 10 people and flattening nearby houses, the official Xinhua News Agency said today.
The explosion occurred at 10.30pm local time (23.00 AEST) Tuesday in the village of Shadi in the coastal province of Fujian, the agency said.   About 20 people were reported to have been living in the house, and rescuers were still looking for possible victims, Xinhua said.  Explosions and fires kill hundreds of people every year in China's fireworks industry, which employs hundreds of thousands. Many are in poor rural areas and work at home. 
Fatal accidents occur regularly despite repeated government safety crackdowns. An explosion in July in the northern province of Hebei killed 32 people, prompting authorities to order all of the province's fireworks factories to close for inspections.
The explosion Tuesday in Shadi "shattered all the wooden houses" and four residential buildings up to 60 meters away, Xinhua said. It said a "large number of fireworks" had been stored in the house, but gave no other details.

August 26 2003, This is Gloucestershire, 'FIREWORKS ARE TOO MUCH FOR MY PETS'
Avril Dooley is furious that summer firework displays are allowed to go on unchecked.
A display at Cheltenham Park Hotel left her kitten and dog in a state of shock. According to Mrs Dooley the display took place on Sunday at 9.45pm as part of a wedding party.
Mrs Dooley, of Cirencester Road, fears for the safety of her three dogs and two cats if the displays are allowed to continue. Mrs Dooley, 58, said: "The bangs from the display were huge and scared the living daylights out of my pets. "We had our windows and doors open as it was so hot on the night.  "We've got a three-month-old kitten called Willow that bolted out of the door when the first firework went off.  "We went out and looked for her and all you could hear along the streets were dogs barking because of the noise.  "While we were searching for Willow we met a lady who had found a lovely golden retriever which was scared out of its wits.  "The dog had jumped over a garden wall when the noise started. Its owners came around and picked it up later.  "When we returned home we found that one of our dogs was scared stiff by the noise.  "It's ridiculous that fireworks can be let off at any time of year.
"I'm not a killjoy and love fireworks, as long as they are on November 5.  "Fireworks are being let off more and more lately which isn't good for pet owners.  "We need warnings at the very least but I think they should be restricted to just once a year." 
The House of Lords passed a bill in July to combat the misuse of fireworks.  The bill, which clamps down on the sale and use of fireworks is now being examined by a committee of peers who are considering how it will be implemented and may make changes to it.  If all changes are approved, the bill could become law in time for bonfire night in 2004.  A member of staff at the Cheltenham Park Hotel in Cirencester Road said the manager did not want to comment on the matter.

August 26 2003, This is Nottingham - HIGHLIGHTING FIREWORK SALES RISKS
Shop staff are being invited to seminars on the risks of selling alcohol, cigarettes and fireworks to children.
The sessions will outline the latest regulations and legislation, along with the penalties facing those who flout the law.
The events are being run by Derbyshire trading standards next month.
They are the latest effort in Derbyshire County Council's five-year enforcement campaign.
The sessions, which will also cover the dangers of butane gas, solvents and knives, are open to licensees and staff in Erewash and Amber Valley.
Coun Walter Burrows, county council cabinet member for public protection, said: "The vast majority of Derbyshire traders are reputable and we want to work with them to reduce the incidence of underage sales.
"The seminars will reinforce legislation, get across the risks of breaking the law and provide advice on how to train and monitor staff. However, there will inevitably be a hard core of rogues who do not care about the law and will continue to put their livelihoods on the line for a few pounds, and so our enforcement activities will continue alongside the information campaign."
The Erewash session is on Thursday, September 11, at Ilkeston's Albion Leisure Centre.  The one in Amber Valley is on Thursday, September 25, at Ripley Leisure Centre. For more information call 01629 585858.

August 23 2003, This is Leicestershire - FIREWORKS ARE TERRIBLE CURSE
I hate Bonfire Night. How anybody could be excited about the fizz, pop and bang of a firework is completely beyond my comprehension. What makes me more of a grouch is the fact that people seem to spread Bonfire Night out over as much of the year as they possibly can. And the noise they make? No wonder my dog has become incontinent.
One Saturday afternoon it was pouring down with rain as I settled down to watch the telly, when, low and behold, fizz, pop, bang. Some mindless teenager was lighting fireworks in the rain.
What a marvellous sense of achievement must have overcome this spotty urchin as he bent down to light the touch paper. This kid must be some kind of prodigy. Did I say prodigy? I meant pillock.
P C, Leicester.

August 19 2003, ic Birmingham - Shop sold fireworks to children
A shop which sold fireworks to children working as undercover trading standards officers has been fined £1,000.
The youngsters, a boy aged 14 and a 15-year-old girl, had volunteered to check if shops would break the law by selling fireworks to under 18s.
Dave's Discount, in Cresswell Crescent, Bloxwich, Walsall, sold the pair a pack of nine Sonic FX rockets last October without asking their age or for identification, Walsall magistrates heard yesterday.
Dave's Discount (Stores) Ltd admitted breaching the 1997 Fireworks (Safety) Regulations and the 1987 Consumer Protection Act and was ordered to pay £824 costs in addition to the fine.
The assistant who sold the rockets, Harjinder Kaur Sanghera senior, pleaded guilty to a similar offence and was fined £250.
The store also failed to display the company's details in the shop and was fined a further £250.
John Beavon, Walsall trading standards divisional officer, said: "Let this be a harsh warning for those unscrupulous traders who decide to flout the law."

August 18 2003, ic Huddersfield - Fireworks snatched
FIREWORKS went with a bang in Scissett ... but not outside the hotel where they were due to go off.
A large box of fireworks was left outside Bagden Hall Hotel on Wakefield Road at 7.50pm on Saturday.
They were ready for a display but a gang of youths grabbed the box and fled.
The fireworks were then seen to light up the night sky a few minutes later.
The thieves are aged 11 to 14. One wore a red T-shirt.

August 16 2003, NEWS.com, Five hurt by exploding firework
FIVE people are in hospital today after they were injured overnight by an exploding firework near Tarago, southern NSW.  Police said about 2am (AEST) today, a group of people were gathered around a campfire when a large firework was set in the ground and lit. Witnesses told police the firework exploded.
A woman and four men suffered extensive leg injuries, including fractured ankles and other leg bones.
Three of the victims were taken by ambulance to Goulburn Base Hospital, while two men were airlifted by Southcare Helicopter to Canberra Hospital in a serious condition.

August 16 2003, This is Leicestershire - NO HELP WHEN WE WERE PLAGUED BY FIREWORKS
Last Saturday night, my partner and I put up with idiots letting off fireworks all evening.
There was one excruciatingly-loud crash every half-hour or so. It was obviously erratic enough not to be from some display, terrifying us, but surely much more terrifying to the old and the young, not to mention household pets.
I phoned the police. This was at 11.30pm. Once I told them where I lived, they said: "Is it about fireworks?"
Obviously, I was not the first person to complain. I was told the only way the police would get involved is if I went to sort out the perpetrators myself and I could find myself under arrest!
They said to phone the environmental health department of the local council on their out-of-hours number. This I did, but to no avail. We were woken up by more fireworks at about 3am. What would have been the point of ringing then?
Sunday, it started again, so I tried the council number again. Success! The person I spoke to told me that there was no Sunday service, but would take my details and someone would definitely get back to me on Monday.
Monday came and went. Nothing. No wonder people plague our society.
They know all the time that no one in authority will do anything and, if anyone else tries to stop them, the police will step in and defend them.
We pay the police to protect us from dangerous or unruly members of our society.
They seem to be protecting the very people we pay them to control.
The police are very good at manning speed traps and the like, which, contrary to the accepted view, does not stop pedestrians being knocked down.
Come on police, do what you are paid for and keep the peace in our society!
A & M S, Leicester.

August 16 2003, This is Leicestershire - THE AGONY BEGINS AGAIN
With all the furore last year regarding the fireworks and steps to be taken, what has happened? Nothing.
There has been no ban on buying the wretched things. Here we are middle of August and it has already started in the Wigston Lane/Eyres Monsell area.
No warnings, any time, even in daylight and late into the night. Once again our animals become alarmed and there is nothing one can do.
I hope these people are proud of themselves.
B W, Leicester.

August 14 2003, ic Birmingham - Ban the bangers
A chip shop owner is helping spearhead a national campaign to crack down on loud and potentially dangerous firework.  Martin Phillips, who runs Martin's of Wednesbury, has already gathered 2,500 signatures from customers at his shop based in Crankhall Lane.
Now he has started another petition because he fears a bill to control the sale of fireworks, backed by West Bromwich MPs Tom Watson and Adrian Bailey, could be stalled by the House of Lords.
Some peers are opposing the bill, which would involve fireworks being sold only at certain times of the year with very loud or large fireworks restricted to public displays.
Mr Phillips said: "I was prompted to get the initial petition together after I was getting lots of comments from people coming in my shop worried about teenagers letting off loud fireworks every night.
"One of the girls who works in my shop even had loud fireworks thrown at her while she was walking home, which terrified her," he added..
"I've also have customers who have pet dogs which have had to be sedated because they were so scared by the bangs."
He said he had decided to get together another petition to try and drive the message home to the House of Lords.
He added: "The response is already pretty good from customers, what we don't want is a complete ban, just restrictions on their sale to certain times of the year."

August 12 2003, ic Liverpool - Your Letters, 12th August 2003 Scum blasted
I'M writing to highlight the problem of gangs letting off high powered fireworks and intimidating residents around Broadgreen hospital, Thomas Drive and surrounding areas from 7pm to 3am almost every night since the summer of 1999.
Before someone pipes up saying 'the kids have nothing to do' - neither did I but I didn't cause a quarter of the mayhem this scum have.
What's more these pyrotechnics cost thousands, so where do they get the money to cause this mayhem?
Unless the so-called 'moral majority' of Broadgreen stand up and be counted against these thugs then the situation is going to get worse.
Name & Address Supplied

August 11 2003, Express and Star, Petition to boost Firework Law Bid
A Black Country MP has launched a petition to prevent political opponents from thwarting tough new laws clamping down on the misuse of fireworks.
West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson has teamed up with a local chip shop owner over the Don't Block the Fireworks Bill! petition.
Martin Phillips, who runs the Martin's of Wednesbury fish and chip shop in Crankhall Lane, is an avid supporter of the bill which is set to be debated in the House of Lords this autumn.
Mr Phillips has previously suffered a spate of firework attacks on his shop, including one in which a 17-year-old girl was almost blinded when a lit firework was thrown at her face.
The petition will eventually be presented to Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith in a bid to persuade the party to drop its threat to block the bill becoming law. The bill is aimed at restricting the sale and use of fireworks in order to cut down on firework injuries.
The laws would restrict firework sales in shops to just three weeks around November 5, when only small-scale pyrotechnics could be sold.
Noisier fireworks would be banned altogether, along with late-night firework use, and special licences would be needed in order to hold public firework displays.
Mr Watson said of the Tories' threat: "When I return to Westminster in September I want them to see the strength of feeling in Sandwell, see sense and give the bill their full support."

August 8 2003, ic Coventry - Crackdown call on noise menaces
Villagers are calling for a crackdown on noisy revellers who disturb neighbours by holding late-night parties or fireworks displays.
Neighbours in Dunchurch have campaigned about fireworks, which are regularly set off in the village.
Residents in Daventry Road last month complained to environmental health bosses after they were disturbed by deafening bangs from a weekend party and fireworks display.
But because Rugby has no out-of hours noise enforcement officer, their call went through to Coventry.
Residents say officers arrived and agreed the noise was causing a nuisance, but said they could only report the situation to Rugby Borough Council after the weekend.
When they asked if any emergency action could be taken, they were told to call the police.
Rugby borough councillor Ron Ravenhall (Lib Dem, Dunchurch and Knightlow), who is backing the residents, has called for the council to employ an on-call officer, who could have powers of enforcement to stop noise.
"Many villages have problems with noise at night and by the time the council can come out, it is too late," he said.
"We are letting people down." Daventry Road resident Stewart Wright, who complained about the firework display, said he would welcome the move.
"At the moment officers can attend but not do anything until it is too late - it is like going to the doctors with a cut but being told it cannot be treated at the moment," he said.
Brandon parish council vice chairman Heather Timms said she would also like to see an officer on call constantly.
"If someone will respond as soon as we call, it would be great. It is no good if you just have to leave a message."
In February villagers in Wolston campaigned for a crackdown on the sale of fireworks after vandals let off bangers near their homes every night.

August 8 2003, ic North Wales, Family tormented by neighbours from hell
A MOTHER claims neighbours from hell have made her family's life a misery since the day they moved into their dream home.
Debra Morgan, 36, her husband Owen, 33, and their three daughters Samantha, 18, Leanne, 16, and Jessica, nine, moved from Upton to Manor Lane in Lower Kinnerton in June last year - and she says village life has proved to be a nightmare.
She claims her family faces an almost daily torrent of verbal abuse and is calling on the police and Chester City Council for help.
'We always wanted to live in a house like this, somewhere we could keep our horses,' she said. 'We wanted to stay here until all the children had finished school, but now we just want to move again.
'Before we came here, we lived in Upton for six years and we never experienced anything like this.'
Mrs Morgan claims that bricks are often thrown into the horses' field, and once, a firework was deliberately set off next to the stables.

August 8 2003, Ulster TV News, Ulster's Neighbours from Hell
According to a study today around half of those enduring the effects of booming music, loud sex, barking dogs and family rows, have not reported the problem.  This is because they do not know who to complain to, have no faith in the system or are afraid of confronting their neighbours.
Despite a reluctance to report neighbours, Belfast City Council last year received almost 4,000 complaints about excessive noise.
The council served a total of 189 notices, which included warnings of £100 on the spot fines.
Ninety-six per cent of those who were served warning notices complied with demands to stop making noise.  There were six prosecutions of people who refused to heed the warnings.
Heather Armstrong, Principal Environmental Health Officer for Belfast Council said it showed the threat of a £100 fine was an effective deterrent.  ``I would encourage anyone who is disturbed by noise to complain promptly to the environmental health department of their local council,`` she added.
The most common complaints made against neighbours were about booming stereos or blaring TVs..
A study carried out by the charity ENCAMS Northern Ireland revealed that revving cars, screaming kids, loud parties and exploding fireworks were also common causes of complaint.

August 6 2003, This is Worcestershire, Ragley Hall gets a rocket
FUMING Alcestrians are complaining about Ragley Hall's noisy firework displays.
Complaints started to come in to Stratford Council at the end of June and officers said they were mainly due to shows not finishing until late at night and because they were part of corporate events which had not been publicised.
Environmental health officer Mike Yapp said: "We started getting complaints in June and it has continued right up to now.
"It is happening because Ragley have been putting on a lot of business events which people don't know about and unfortunately, these continue to late at night on weekdays."
At the same time as residents were complaining to the council, Alcester police were having an influx of similar comments and passing them over to the council.
Mr Yapp said: "I wrote to the chief executive of Ragley Hall following the initial complaints but the council does not have any legal powers over firework noise or noise nuisance.
"However, we do have a firework display code which we give out frequently near bonfire night.
"We have some standards for public displays which state displays must finish by 11pm and organisers must notify neighbours, especially animal boarding establishments because of the harm it can cause."
Ragley Hall said it would try to have more control over the noise.
Robbie Burns, managing director of Performing Arts, which organises concerts at the hall, said: "Sometimes it can be disturbing for residents because Ragley Hall is in an isolated area. We'd like to apologise but also point out we do make considerations.
"We do try to keep the displays to a minimum of six minutes and bring the displays forward to an earlier time.
"And we also try to widely publicise the events well in advance."
Ragley Hall chief executive Alan Granger was unavailable for comment at the time the Chronicle went to press.

August 1 2003, ic South London, Firework and DVD seller in court
A SHOPKEEPER caught with half a ton of fireworks in his shop got a rocket from trading standards officers.
Hoa-Vinh Hua appeared at Camberwell Magistrates' Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to illegally storing the fireworks in the basement of Nancy's Newsagents, based on Peckham High Street.
When trading standards officers, from Southwark council raided the shop on November 5 last year, they found fireworks displayed next to lights and heaters, contrary to safety laws. Hua was fined £200 and ordered to pay £500 in costs. Meanwhile, a market trader caught flogging dodgy DVDs in East Street, Walworth, was brought to book on the same day. Bryson Prevost, of Ivydale Road, Nunhead, was found selling counterfeit DVDs including blockbusters like Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. More than 500 DVDS were seized during two raids at Prevost's stall last summer. Prevost pleaded guilty to one charge of selling counterfeit DVDs and was fined £100.

August 1 2003, This is Bradford, Firework poster is too hot to handle
A firework safety campaign's poster has been axed by Bradford Council for being too graphic.
The Safe Project's hard-hitting poster of a charred hand with the skin melted away bearing the slogan "Somebody Handed it to Him!" was meant to be published in the Council's Community Pride newsletter which is distributed across the district.
Today a Council spokesman said less graphic posters, including one with a firework-injured hand bandaged up, were now being considered for publication.
But firework campaigner Elizabeth Hellmich, who helped design the poster, attacked the decision and claimed posters had to be hard-hitting to get the message across. She said: "It is a graphic picture that is designed to shock.
"I really don't think the hand would bother the children. Hopefully it would make them look and learn.
"I can understand why it has been pulled but anything milder wouldn't have any real impact." She said Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust had the highest number of recorded accidents caused by fireworks last year in the Northern and Yorkshire region. Only Liverpool hospitals dealt with more firework injuries. Councillor Barry Thorne (Lab, Keighley West), who has campaigned for a firework safety initiative at the Council, said he also believed posters had to be graphic to get the message across.
"I think it's right to be hard-hitting," he said, "Advertisements have been hard-hitting with drink-driving and it has worked."
A Council spokesman said: "We decided that the image was not suitable."

August 1 2003, This is Bristol, 'STOP DISPLAYS LATE AT NIGHT'
A GP from Cotham has called on the authorities to control the times of day fireworks can be let off after he was kept awake late at night. Dr Trevor Thompson said that he wants setting off fireworks to be banned after certain hours by the local authority.
It follows an incident on a recent Sunday evening where what he describes as a "massive display" was let off at a private party in Clifton.
The 38-year-old father-of-three insisted he was not a killjoy and said he loved fireworks.
But Dr Thompson said he did not think it was asking too much to have private displays banned on Sunday nights or after 10pm.  The Bristol University lecturer said: "The firework display started just when I was dozing off. I was woken up at 10.45pm and it lasted until 11.30pm.  "I couldn't go back to sleep for a while after that and the next day I didn't feel my best in those GP clinics.  "I see it as totally out of order to let off fireworks at that time - particularly on a Sunday night.  "The fireworks were so big and so loud, thousands of households must have been woken up by this.  "When I cycled round to the house where they were having the display, they told me I should go and live in the countryside if I wanted a quiet night.  "This was no paltry garden show. They were very rude and inconsiderate and selfish.  "I love fireworks and I love parties but there has to be some sort of limits."

There is an agreement within the firework industry only to sell fireworks for a few weeks leading up to November 5.  But since Millennium night three years ago, more and more incidents had been reported to Trading Standards about displays being let off at unsocial hours.  A private member's bill is also being pushed through Parliament to try to regulate the industry but it is not expected to be passed before November 5.

Kate Hartas, a spokeswoman for Bristol City Council, said that at the moment the only thing the local authority could do was to investigate fireworks cases as noise pollution.  She said: "Unfortunately, the noise pollution enforcement is only when there are repeated and reoccurring incidents."  Noel Tobin of the National Campaign for Fireworks Safety, said he hoped the private member's bill would go through.  But he insisted that even 11pm was too late.  He said: "The cut-off point should be 9pm. 11pm is too late and noise will affect old people, people with children and pets.  "In November it is dark enough by 7pm to do firework displays then.  "The big problem if the bill gets through will be to enforce it. Will it be the police or local authorities? It has to be clear."

August 1 2003, This is The West Country, Wedding fireworks spark protests
A FIREWORK display in Wellington has been branded "inconsiderate" by a campaigner against fireworks misuse.
The ten-minute display at 10.30pm last Saturday (July 26), organised by a wedding couple, sparked a stream of complaints from residents whose children and pets were distressed by the noise.
Many people, some of whom contacted the police they were so distressed, were upset they had not been given proper prior notice.
Fireworks campaigner Jo Steer from Milverton told the Somerset County Gazette: "The whole issue is consideration for other people.
"If adequate advance warning is given in the right way -- not just a small poster somewhere -- then people would be better prepared to deal with the effects."

July 31 2003, ic SurreyOnline - Residents demand CCTV to combat gang intimidation
YOUNG people are being blamed for more abuse and vandalism in Mole Valley.
Residents living in the Meadowbank area of Dorking feel that problems with vandals and noise are as bad as in Dene Street, where, as reported in the Leatherhead Advertiser, residents have to put up with intimidating gangs.
The residents are disappointed that proposals for CCTV and floodlighting are still on the reserve list in the council's expenditure programme and are now setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to try to combat the problem.
In a letter to the Advertiser, a Parkway resident, who wanted his name withheld, said: "Since living in Dorking we have experienced vandalism to our house, car, wall and fences. We regularly have sleepless nights due to shouting, screaming, and the letting off of fireworks. On occasion this has carried on until 3am or 4am.

July 29 2003, BBC NEWS, China fireworks blast kills 29
A powerful explosion at a fireworks factory in northern China has left 29 dead and more than 100 injured, according to state media. The blast at the Gouxi factory in Xinji, Hebei province, completed destroyed the main workshop and buildings nearby, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known and it was not clear how many workers were in the factory at the time.   Last January, more than 40 people died in an explosion at a fireworks factory in the eastern province of Jiangxi. The injured in Tuesday's blast were taken to hospital, and 50 people with minor injuries were released, according to Chinese state television.
"I thought it was an earthquake. I was really scared. My sister and I just ran out of the house," Qian Yun, a 19-year-old living about 5 kilometres (3 miles) away from the factory, told the Associated Press.
Fatal explosions are frequent in China's fireworks industry, which employs hundreds of thousands of people.

July 26 2003, This is York, Brothers jailed for blowing up phone boxes
TWO brothers who blew up phone boxes on the A64 near Malton have been jailed for a total of seven years.
Stuart Layton, 23, and his brother, Geoffrey, 30, of Seacroft, Leeds, had travelled on the A64 towards Scarborough late at night last November 21.
They used fireworks to blow up the boxes in an attempt to get at the money, causing thousands of pounds in damage to the British Telecom phones.
Stuart pleaded guilty to the offences and was sentenced to three years.
His elder brother, who denied the charges, was found guilty at an earlier hearing and sentenced to four years.
Geoffrey had claimed he and another man, Peter Cheetham, 29, wanted nothing to do with the incident.
Cheetham was found not guilty at an earlier hearing, but the jury convicted Layton after learning he was discovered by police officers with a firework in his pocket and two others down his trousers.
Andrew Woolman, prosecuting, said Geoffrey had told lie after lie trying to deny his involvement.
Cheetham, who suffers from epilepsy, was described as not the "sharpest tool in the box" by his solicitor. Police discovered him in the back of the car having a seizure and he was later taken to the intensive care unit at York Hospital.

July 18 2003, This is Lancashire, Plan to limit firework sales
SHOPKEEPERS in Manchester could be asked not to sell fireworks until three weeks before Bonfire Night.
The city's council may ask for a voluntary ban because a private members' bill to limit sales will not become law until next year.

July 18 2003, This is Nottingham, FIREWORKS- MY PAINFUL LESSON
Leading city businessman Stuart Brandreth still bears the scars of a childhood prank that literally blew up in his face.  When just ten, Mr Brandreth, now managing director of Nottingham Building Society, emptied gunpowder from a firework which had failed to go off and lit it. He was left him with severe burns to his hands and face.

Memories of the pain he endured, which included daily trips to hospital for six months to have dressings changed, has led him to back an Evening Post call for tougher regulations governing the sale of fireworks.

Our Be Safe Not Sorry campaign is pressing the Government to introduce a ban on the sale of fireworks to the general public.

It was given a boost last week when Glasgow MP Bill Tynan's Fireworks Bill successfully passed its final hurdle in the House of Lords.

Its key provisions are likely to become law in time for November 5, introducing a curfew that will ban fireworks being set off after 11pm, their sale to the public being limited, and a licensing system which will differentiate between private buyers and organised public displays.

Mr Brandreth, who supports these restrictions, said: "I am wholly in support of the Post campaign. It should be more difficult for fireworks to be bought.

"I wasn't a hooligan, I was just a normal boy of ten who was stupid enough to do something which could have killed me.

"I learned the hard way the damage fireworks can cause. They are extraordinarily dangerous and cause so many accidents."

He added: "It was a five shilling snowstorm and I'm greatly embarrassed by what I did.

"But if it helps spell out the danger of fireworks, I'm happy to talk about it. I foolishly thought that because the firework had not gone off, emptying the gunpowder would cause the firework to work.

"I spent every day for six months in hospital after that, to have the burns checked and my dressings changed.

"I even had my 11-plus exam deferred for three weeks because I couldn't write properly."

July 14 2003, ic Lanarkshire, Executive back fireworks Bill
THE Scottish Executive have backed Hamilton South MP Bill Tynan's fireworks Bill.
The Private Member's Bill completed its passage through the Commons on June 13 and will introduce powers covering the sale and use of fireworks across the UK.
Regulations covered include prohibition of supply of fireworks to young people, or the possession of fireworks by young people. It will also introduce licensing of firework suppliers and the prohibition of the supply of certain fireworks.
Scottish Executive finance and public services minister Andy Kerr said this week that the executive was committed to stamping out the injuries and upset which can be caused to family and pets by the irresponsible use of fireworks. He also pointed out that the executive is committed to working closely with the UK Government on the issue.
"In a modern Scotland it is completely unacceptable that a small minority can cause distress to people and animals," said Mr Kerr.
"This is blighting our communities and can have harmful long-term consequences for victims. Comprehensive regulations across the UK on the sale and use of fireworks will make a real difference. It will ensure fireworks can be enjoyed without causing fear."

July 14 2003, ManchesterOnline, City may go it alone in firework campaign
MANCHESTER may go it alone to crack down on the menace of fireworks.

Tighter fireworks restrictions across Britain will not come into effect this year because of delays to MP Bill Tynan's private members' Bill.

So Manchester city council is now planning to take its own stand against the injury, noise and distress fireworks cause.

One of the main measures in the Bill is a limit on fireworks sales, so they are only available over the counter the three weeks before Bonfire Night.

The city council now plans to ask shopkeepers to follow this limit. It has no power to force shopkeepers to obey, so it could only be a voluntary code of conduct.

But Coun Pat Karney has warned that those who do not follow it could face problems in the future.

Code
Coun Karney, chairman of the council's social scrutiny committee, said the council would take a dim view of any shops which did not follow its voluntary code.

He said: "Their willingness to be responsible now would be noted when they are applying to renew their licences to sell fireworks."

Mr Tynan's Bill proposes an 11pm curfew on displays at any time of year. It also calls for more noise limits on fireworks.

A licensing system would be set up so fireworks could be made available for displays to mark special events. But the Bill is not set to be law in time for this year's Bonfire Night.

Coun Karney has invited Mr Tynan to Manchester to discuss the problem. And he believes the build-up to this year's Bonfire Night misery has already begun.

He said: "I saw and heard my first 2003 firework outside my flat two weeks ago. It was deafening. Fireworks are now a year-round problem for many in Manchester."

Earlier this year, the council considered introducing a by-law to restrict firework sales. But this option will only be used if the Tynan Bill fails to become law.

Regulations
Coun Karney also hopes to meet Consumer Affairs Minister Gerry Sutcliffe to discuss how regulations and enforcement powers can be used more effectively.

To highlight his call for a code of conduct, Coun Karney visited Chambers and Perkins, in Rochdale Road, Blackley, which sells fireworks.
No one from the shop was available to comment on whether a code would be worthwhile. But "John'' another retailer, who sells fireworks from various sites for up to three months before Bonfire Night, said he would be unlikely to follow any code.

He sells fireworks without a licence to store them and says the market is too lucrative for people to limit when they sell.

John added: "If I don't sell them someone else will."

The M.E.N. is calling for a total ban on over-the-counter firework sales.
We believe it is the only way to prevent people suffering horrific injuries and thousands more having to endure noise and distress at all hours.

July 11 2003, East Anglian Daily Times, Store fined for selling youth fireworks
A FIREWORKS store has been fined for selling a rocket to a 15-year-old during an undercover trading standards investigation.  Trading standards officers sent the boy into the Warehouse Clearance Superstore in Bury St Edmunds following complaints from the public about children setting off fireworks and concerns raised by the town's MP David Ruffley.
St Edmundsbury magistrates were told yesterday the teenager was asked by inspectors to go into the Anglia Lane shop, run by Cravenwood Ltd, and ask for a rocket firework.  Anna Venturino, prosecuting for Suffolk County Council's trading standards, said: "The sales assistant sold this to the child without asking for identification."
The firm admitted a charge of selling the space explorer rocket to a child under the age of 18, contrary to the Fireworks (Safety) Regulations 1997.  Jim Spencer, presiding magistrate, said the firm would be fined £300, but added the panel believed the incident had been a "one-off mistake by a conscientious member of staff".
He continued: "We have noted the measures that were put in place swiftly to avoid a similar occurrence there.
"We also note the frank admission, co-operation with the investigation and early guilty plea. There has also been great concern shown by directors of the company."
Ms Venturino said the inspection in October had found Cravenwood Ltd had lacked a formal monitoring system to deal with underage sales.  She added there had been no formal training for staff dealing with youngsters wanting to buy fireworks other than verbal instructions that if a customer looked under 18, then proof of age should be provided before a sale was made.
But Geoffrey Knape, mitigating, said youngsters who were refused fireworks often became abusive to staff. "Some stand outside the front of the shop and try to inveigle adults to buy them fireworks. The shop has to try to act on that as well, which is sometimes not easy," he added.  "The company tries to do its best to make sure staff are not selling fireworks illegally. The member of staff concerned here made a mistake at the end of a very long and difficult day.  "All the staff are instructed not to sell fireworks to children under 18 and if they are in doubt, they should ask for identification. If they don't get that, they shouldn't sell."
Mr Knape said since the incident the firm had introduced a policy of not selling fireworks to anyone aged under 21 and the company handbook had been updated to include the policy. 
Speaking after the hearing, David Baker, assistant county trading standards officer, said: "The law is there to protect children from putting their own lives and others in danger and the consequences of fireworks falling into the hands of teenagers could be tragic. "This case sends out a strong message that stores must play their part in upholding the law and so help prevent the anti-social and dangerous behaviour associated with teenagers and fireworks."

July 9 2003, This is the North East, Firework trial date
A MAN accused of blowing up a post box with a firework has been sent for trial.
Richard Davies, who declined to have his case heard by Harrogate magistrates when he appeared before them yesterday, will appear at Leeds Crown Court on August 12.
Mr Davies, 21, of Cockpit Close, North Stainley, near Ripon, North Yorkshire, is facing four charges after an incident in Low Swinton, near Masham, on November 12.
He is accused of causing £253 of damage to a Royal Mail postbox, setting off fireworks in a public place, discharging a firework, and possession of a firework without lawful excuse.

July 8 2003, ManchesterOnline - 92,000 tell Blair - No more fireworks
MORE than 90,000 reasons why fireworks should be banned will be given to the government today.
A petition of 92,835 signatures will be handed in at Downing Street by Teresa Kulkarni who has spent a year collecting them.
Like the Manchester Evening News, Teresa is calling for a total ban on over-the-counter sales, with all fireworks let off at licensed, official displays.
And she is in complete agreement with the M.E.N. that urgent action is needed to avoid the injuries, noise and misery fireworks bring to thousands each year.
She said: "A total ban is the only way to stop fireworks ruining people's lives. Anything else isn't good enough. Without a total ban we will keep having thousands of people injured by fireworks every year.''
Frantic
Teresa began collecting signatures at the pet shop where she worked in King's Lynn, Norfolk. Many customers eagerly signed up because their pets had been made frantic with fear by the noise of fireworks.
The petition soon gained supporters all over the UK.
Teresa, 38, said: "People were appalled at the way fireworks now impact on their lives.
"It was as if a dam had broken. They realised they do not have to put up with fireworks. They could do something about it. Every time I tried to close the petition, I got calls from people, saying that they had just found out about it and asking if they could collect signatures on my behalf."
The petition, which began before Bill Tynan MP started his Firework Bill in Parliament, is one of the largest firework petitions ever collected.
Supporters
A copy will be handed to Mr Tynan and other MPs before Teresa and her supporters go to 10 Downing Street to hand it in to the Prime Minister.
A letter accompanying it reads: "This petition is simple, straightforward and long overdue.
"This year, like every year before it, hundreds of people will be injured, property will be destroyed, animals terrified and injured and thousands of pounds of public funds will be wasted on emergency services responding to a completely preventable danger.
"Every year the government appeals for the public to take care on Guy Fawkes' Night. The fact is that, despite this, the injuries continue. Is it not time the government actually did something about preventing the problem?
"No one wants to spoil the fun of Guy Fawkes' Night or put fireworks manufacturers out of business. Let us have licensed displays."

July 7 2003, Leeds Today, MPs back curbs on noise and nuisance
NEW laws which would give Ministers sweeping powers to control the sale and use of fireworks could at last be on the way.  A Bill proposing the move was backed in principle at Westminster yesterday, meaning legislation could be in force by November 5 2004.
The Bill - put together by Scottish MP Bill Tynan - was passed through the House of Commons and is being sponsored in the Lords by Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale.
She argued the Bill "grants a package of powers to make fireworks regulations which can be changed in response to changing circumstances".
She called for an 11pm curfew on their use, with most small retailers restricted to selling them only in the run-up to Guy Fawkes night.
The move takes the YEP's own Save The Fireworks For Bonfire Night campaign another step closer to victory.
We launched the campaign last year and received a flood of support from readers across the county.
Police, firefighters and responsible firework retailers also gave the plans the thumbs up. Lady Ramsay told the Lords yesterday: "There is an issue of noise and nuisance.
"All over the UK, there is the clear perception that fireworks have become louder and their use extended both throughout the year and into the night hours."
Hours
Junior trade and industry minister Lord Sainsbury of Turville said that if the Bill did not become law, Home Secretary David Blunkett would incorporate some of its provisions in the Anti-social Behaviour Bill.
He added: "I see nothing in this Bill which would reduce in any way the enjoyment that most citizens have in fireworks.
"All it would reduce is the pleasure of those people who enjoy frightening their fellow citizens or animals.
"The regulations will not ban totally the use of fireworks."
The Bill, which gained an unopposed second reading, has already cleared the Commons, with cross-party and Government support.

July 1 2003, This is Worcestershire, In defence of Councillor Barlow
I FEEL that I must respond to the criticism that David Barlow has endured on these pages.
The knee-jerk response to his thoughts on the indiscriminate use of fireworks is both unjustified and over the top.
After all, around bonfire night the suffering caused to animals is terrible. This concert may have given people pleasure but was the firework display that followed really necessary, and so close to the swan sanctuary on the River Severn? Yes, let's have the pretty lights, but not the frightening din.
Is the reaction to Councillor Barlow's sensible words a case of empty vessels making most noise?
SIMON TAYLOR, Worcester.