FIREWORKS

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Officials at Ilfracombe Rugby Club haven't held a bonfire night for four years, after being put off by the mountain of paperwork and regulations set by council chiefs. But this year they opted to show a film of the blaze instead to get round the strict rules surrounding the lighting of fires at public events. Under the new rules the club would be required to hire five qualified fire marshals, recruit dozens of volunteers to watch over the 2,000-strong crowd and fix metal barricades around the fire to keep people at a safe distance.

The organisers built a fire on private land earlier in the week and recorded it with a video camera. Recorded images of a roaring real fire were projected onto a 16ft by 12ft screen mounted on a scaffolding stand, at a cost of £300. Organisers even used giant heaters, lighting and a smoke machine to give the crowd the taste of a real bonfire night. The sound of crackling wood was also broadcast on loudspeakers and £2,500 fireworks were fired into the air. Around 2,000 people turned up and paid £2 a ticket to wave sparklers and eat hot dogs in front of the UK's first ever virtual bonfire. (Source: Mail on Sunday, Nov/06)

Why should we be allowed to set off fireworks only on November 5? Bonfire Night is a celebration of a plot to murder people and blow up a large part of London. My family had a lot of fireworks on Diwali and so did many other families. It made lots of people happy because it helped us to celebrate what is a religious festival. Why should we be forced to have them only on November 5 instead of on a religious festival which is celebrated in many countries across the world and in a variety of different religions. We are all people and we have a right to celebrate our festivals. Our, and many of the neighbours' fireworks were silent or "crackly" ones, not loud bangers.

If we are not allowed to have them on Diwali, then we should not be allowed to have them at all in Britain because then it is a matter of principle. If the so-called British people are allowed to celebrate the attempted murder of many people, then why shouldn't Hindu people be allowed to celebrate the saving of many lives? My family and I are as much a part of this country as anyone else and we should be allowed to celebrate our festivals just as you do. My cousins greatly enjoyed it and my friends (both people who celebrate Diwali and those who don't) told me that they enjoyed their displays.

It is not time for racism and isolation. It is time for understanding and freedom to celebrate our festivals as well as those of other religions. If there needs to be a restriction on when to have them, restrict their sale, issue licences, and only allow them to be sold around events that traditionally involve fireworks. I would like to end on a quote for everyone to think about. "Freedom and understanding are the keys to the shackles of fascism and hatred." J Sahota

J Sahota need not worry. The new laws will not apply to the many religions and will not effect the many cultures in this country, all of whom will be exempt and allowed to carry on celebrating their own traditions in their own way. The law of this land does not allow anything that might upset them. But then, why shouldn't the law apply to EVERYONE who lives here?

Police have acquired a new weapon to crack down on firework misuse, an on-the-spot £80 penalty fine for those who break recent laws limiting their use. Under the new rules, fireworks cannot be set off between 11pm and 7am and the curfew can be broken only on Bonfire Night, Diwali and the New Year celebrations. It has also been made illegal for minors to carry or use fireworks in a public place. Home Office Minister Hazel Blears said, "Law-abiding families should not have to live in fear of yobs throwing firecrackers, explosives smashing windows or loud bangs going off night after night."

She added that fireworks could cause harassment, intimidation and in the worst cases, serious harm. Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe voiced the need to drive "loutish behaviour" off the streets. He said his department had brought in new laws to tighten up rules on the use and sale of fireworks. This aimed to prevent their anti-social use by "stopping yobs being a danger to themselves and others". The Association of Chief Police Officers welcomed the new fines and said it was important for parents to be aware that underage children are not supposed to use adult fireworks in public places.

Despite the new government crackdown on firework misuse, Derbyshire police has issued just one notice for throwing fireworks and said the legislation is difficult to police. A police spokesman said, "You can see and hear fireworks from a distance, but can't always pinpoint where they are coming from."

The Co-op supermarket in Odd Down, near Bath, apologised to a grandmother after refusing to sell her fireworks unless she could prove that she was over 18. Susan Field was told by staff that she would need to show her passport before they would let her buy a £1.50 packet of sparklers. A member of staff told her it was Co-Op policy that, at any age, fireworks would not be sold without proof of identification, and only a passport would do. The Co-op said, “We take the issue of age-restricted sales extremely seriously. However, on this occasion it appears that staff have been over zealous in implementing our procedures.” (Source: Times Online)

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