Fireworks ban in force at police bonfire display

Oct 29 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

SPARKLERS have been banned from one of the North East’s biggest fireworks bashes next week.

Although more than £5,000 worth of bangers, rockets and other fireworks will go up in smoke over the skies of Durham next Wednesday, the humble sparkler will be missing from the Police and Fire Service display following complaints from footballers.

A Durham Police spokesman said: “For safety reasons sparklers will not be on sale and are not allowed at the event.

“The area used for the display is also a football pitch and there have been problems in the past with used sparklers discarded or stuck in the field. However, glowsticks will be on sale throughout the evening with proceeds going to charity.”

Admission to the November 5 show at Aykley Heads, Durham, is from 5pm, with the bonfire being lit at 7pm.

It will be followed shortly afterwards by a fireworks display lasting between 20 and 30 minutes.

Throughout the evening entertainment will be provided by the Durham FM roadshow.

Firefighters are staging a chip pan blaze demonstration to show how a couple of minutes’ carelessness can have potentially lethal results. Admission is £3 for adults and £2 for children, under-fives can come in for free. Local charities will, as always, share in the proceeds once costs have been met.

More than 10,000 people are thought to have attended last year’s event and parking spaces will again be available at County Hall or the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

Tickets are only available on the night, not in advance. And for the second year running members of the Durham Rotary Club have volunteered their services to help sell tickets for the evening.

Chief Insp Graham Rankin, who is overseeing the police planning, said: “A lot of hard work goes into organising this event, which is recognised as one of the biggest and best in the region.

“It is a great evening out for all the family and over the years has given a huge cash boost to a range of local charities and good causes.”

Members of the public are asked to arrive early and enjoy the pre-show entertainment.

In previous years, roads leading to the event have become heavily congested nearer the start time.

Meanwhile, child volunteers are operating undercover in County Durham in a crackdown on illegal sales of fireworks.

The county’s trading standards service is visiting all fireworks retailers to advise them of the rules about supplying and storing fireworks.

And any trader found selling to young people could face prosecution and prison.