With celebrations for Halloween and Bonfire night fast approaching, agencies in Cardiff are once again making a concerted effort to tackle anti-social behaviour and disorder during this traditionally busy period.
This year’s Be A Nice Guy (BANG) campaign will see officers from a range of agencies including Cardiff Council, South Wales Police, Cardiff Bus and the British Transport Police setting about reassuring communities that everything is being done to ensure the tricks and excitement of both events do not turn into anything more disturbing.
To support the campaign and ensure this year’s celebrations pass as peacefully and safely as possible, officers from Cardiff Council Trading Standards with support from South Wales Police will be will be carrying out enforcement work during the campaign period to ensure:
- Fireworks are not sold to anyone under the age of 18
- All items are stored safety and correctly
- Only licensed retailers sell British Standards (BS) and European Standard (EN) fireworks and that this is done within the correct trading period. (Oct 15 – Nov 10).
Anyone caught in breach of any of these conditions may be subject to legal action and prosecution.
Councillor Judith Woodman, Executive Member for Housing, Communities and Social Justice in Cardiff, said: “Now in its sixth year, BANG is a well established campaign in Cardiff with strong support from not only the public, private and voluntary sectors but also the wider community and neighbourhood groups. “By working closely with the retail trade and with communities across Cardiff, we aim to educate, inform and, where necessary enforce. The potential for anti-social behaviour, and indeed, serious injury, is huge when dangerous explosives fall into the wrong hands.
“BANG is about putting safety first whilst allowing all residents, to enjoy this time of the year without accident or incident, whether they choose to take part or not.”
Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Alun Thomas added: “Halloween and Bonfire Night are two of the busiest days of the year in terms of policing anti-social behaviour and we have robust plans in place.
“We want people to enjoy themselves but I would encourage those who are out and about during this period to act responsibly in order to minimise disruption to our communities.
“Residents can be rest assured that we will not tolerate those who use Halloween and Bonfire night as an excuse to indulge in criminal or reckless behaviour, and there will be a very visible police presence on the streets of Cardiff.”
During the campaign period, which runs from now until November 7, anyone who experiences or witnesses any anti-social behaviour can report it to 101. All noise nuisance issues should be reported directly to Cardiff Council via the usual C2C number (029) 2087 2087.
For more information about BANG and what’s being done in your area, please visit the dedicated Facebook page www.facebook.com/beaniceguy
