Stay safe on Bonfire night’ – that is the message from North Wales Police ahead of this year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations.
Bonfire night is often a time of year that can see increases in incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage therefore extra patrols will be put in place across the force area.
Acting Deputy Chief Constable Ian Shannon said: “Bonfire night is an event that can be fun and exciting for youngsters and their families, however, we are urging people to be responsible with fireworks as Bonfire Night approaches and stay safe. We want people to enjoy themselves, and ensure the night is memorable for the right reasons so that people aren’t frightened, intimidated or harmed by the misuse of fireworks.
“We traditionally see an increase in the number of incidents of nuisance and disorder being reported on and around November 5th, and we would like to warn the minority of people that officers will respond strongly to reports of anti social behaviour which disrupts the lives of people in our communities.”
“Figures show that more often than not, it’s children rather than adults who get hurt by fireworks. Fireworks are not toys and should be treated with respect. It is crucial that traders are reminded that it is against the law to sell adult fireworks to anyone under the age of 18. We will be working with Local Authorities to target traders who unlawfully sell fireworks to under 18’s”.
“It is illegal to possess an adult firework by anyone under the age of 18 in a public place or to throw or let off a firework in the street or a public place. If caught committing these offences, you can expect officers to enforce the law. The safest place to enjoy fireworks is at a properly organised public display, it’s also much cheaper! I am urging people to think of others and to be sensible.”
“High-visibility patrols will be carried out across the force area and officers will be working closely with other agencies, such as the Fire and Rescue Service and local authorities.”
Warning…….
As a parent or guardian, you must treat fireworks with care and make sure others know they must be handled with respect. It is illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am unless it is a permitted fireworks night. Exceptions are:
- November 5th – fireworks can be set off until midnight
- British New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali – fireworks can be set off until 1am.
Top tips: Please remember the firework code…..
- Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114.
- Don’t drink alcohol before setting off fireworks.
- Keep fireworks in a closed box.
- Follow the instructions on each firework.
- Light at arm’s length, using a taper.
- Stand well back.
- Never go near a firework that has been lit. Even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.
- Never put fireworks in your pocket or throw them.
- Always supervise children around fireworks.
- Light sparklers one at a time and wear gloves.
- Never give sparklers to a child under five.
- Keep pets indoors.
If you are aware of people misusing fireworks to either damage property or injure, contact North Wales Police on 101, if you are calling from Wales, or 0845 607 1001 ( Welsh line ), 0845 607 1002 ( English line ) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Alternatively send a text message to 66767 or email – [email protected]
