fireworks

[Captainebay]

Fireworks should be BANNED, Full Stop, they cause NOTHING but trouble, If the Goverment can't ban them completely, then they should be sold ONLY to Organised events Holders that have a Licence to use them, They are all too easy to buy, Im sickened by the recent news of the Barn Fire in Bury in which a Horse died, this fire was started by Thugs playing with Fireworks. The Barn from what I can gather was a Home for Neglected horses, one horse, the last horse out suffered extensive Burns, and died a day later, the other 4 or 5 horses are suffering terribly. I cannot and will NEVER understand why these dangerous items have never been banned to the Public , however pretty they may be they are a BIG DANGER to People and Animals , those Thugs that caused this unnecessary suffering should recieve the same treatment. Im disgusted .

[Greggo']

I agree to be honest. Or like some country's already have in place a system where you have to apply for a licence in order to purchase firworks.

Spend a couple of quid on going to an organised display rather than messing about in your back yard with crappy overpriced fireworks. How many 16 yr olds have organised fire work displays? Not many! At least raise the minimum age to purchase fireworks.

Fireworks such as bangers are of absolute no entertainmant value apart from thugs using them as mini dynamite sticks and the annaul injuries and life scarings are inevitable.

Agree it is unfair on animals also. Bangers are thrown at cats. Dogs even indoors are very scared also.

[maggie01]

totally agree I have just posted about a yorkie in animals and nature. It has really upset me.

[woofgang]

sad to say I agree. When I was young (sigh) fireworks were prettier, less noisy, sold over a shorter period and IMHO used more responsibly. Setting apart the mindless cruelty, its the noise that is most frightening for the animals and it just isn't necessary

[VINNY100_2]

Did'nt the goverment ban Bangers a few years ago?you can't buy them where I live.

[maggie01]

I thought bangers were banned. It just needs the rest of them now. Its not even the 5th November yet and already I can't leave my two in the house in the evening. I don't think I shall be able to read the papers for the next week or so because I know there will be more casualties before firework night is over

[shaneystar]

There have been several posts on this issue and I have just seen maggies post in A&N.
The sale of fireworks should be banned unless people can prove that they are going to use them in a public display.They should be licenced to do so..I thought the government were going to crack down on this.
Unscrupulous shopkeepers sell them willy nilly to anybody.In the wrong hands they are extremely dangerous. One night a year is enough...but they started a couple of weeks back and it goes on and on...ad infinitum.My poor old dog is terrified of them. I sound like a killjoy but these things are alright in the proper place in a supervised display at the appropriate time which is 5th November not all year round.

[Oneeyedvic]

I agree with a ban on private purchases. We had fireworks going off 2 weeks ago at three in the afternoon on a sunny day! Mind boggles. I phoned the police (they were hugley loud and sounded like an explosion) but they didn't want to know. They said there was nothing wrong with it. I asked them what would happne if I let them off outside their station, but they didn't reply.

[Oneeyedvic]

Sory, I should point out that I do actually like organised displays (we have them here every week over the summer holidays - and I have no problem with that).

Organised events are also kinder to animals, as you can sit with them and you know when it will end. rivate displays are a menace as they go off at random intervals on random days.

[louadams6]

Isnt it also illegal now to let them off after 11pm? There were kids (aged about 13ish) outside my home at 12.30pm on Friday night letting them off! They should be banned and theres also been the news item today about children being able to buy them off the internet!! Where does it end???

[scubadiver]

10ClarionSt - I am assuming you are a troll, as I honestly cannot believe anyone in their right mind would hold that view in this day & age.

Having just spent this evening trying to calm down two distraught dogs, with the knowledge that this will get worse over the next week, I somehow find it hard to see your viewpoint.

Tell you what, I bet there will be a queue of people who would willingly come round and stand outside your house and let off explosives indiscriminately for a few days - see how you like it.

Get a life!!

[maggie01]

10clarionst No one is moaning about fireworks if used properly. ieNov 5th by organised groups. Luckily I was not alive in the war but I would have hoped people would have moved forward. I take it you don't own animals or if you do your not exactly an animal lover. Enjoy you rtreacle toffee and fireworks. Don't stand too close because you never know you could be one of the unlucky ones. But then you would probably say so what

.

[maggie01]

forgot to say I would have to agree with you then.

[january_bug]

I agree. There is no NEED to have displays in ones own back garden (or actually on ones drive whilst standing 2 ft away from it as I saw in Manc last night). Even if you can't afford to go to a public display, fireworks are so close to being a public good... you can just park up and watch it from a slight distance for free!

I think at the very least the age should be raised to 18, and it should be harder to buy them... i.e., just walking into a shop is too easy.

Couldn't people seeting them off after 11, or in a built up area have an ASBO slapped on them?

Of course the main arguement here is the fact that so many 16 year olds don't seem to realise the dangers. They just don't understand that fireworks are a dangerous explosive and will HURT them (blind them, deafen them, scar them for life) if they get it wrong. The government regulates many other things with licences in order to protect people - fireworks should be one more area. It should be remembered that what Captainebay has proposed is not really a ban, but regulation... so this, if sensibly operated, can give the best of both worlds (it wouldn't be perfect, but it could be better than what we have now).

[Captainebay]

10clarionst, your such ****, im assuming you dont have dogs or cats, animals, people like you generally dont, because anyone with an ounce of decency wouldnt have replied with such a pathetic sick dark age answer, as for being harmed by one, I havent myself, but know of 2 people seriously scarred by them, people like you should be stuck on the top of a bomb fire as rubbish.. Im with you scubadiver, Make it a DOUBLE TROLL. with an extra sprinkle of dymanite just to be sure .

[jamesy boy]

It beggars belief really, that a government that thinks ID cards would stop terrorism is ok with the tradition of allowing pretty much anyone to buy explosive devices over the counter.

Who needs C-4 when schoolkids can make bombs out of a few bangers and a bit of shrapnel.

[mullein3]

i totally agree with you..when i was young i dont think anyone loved fireworks more than me..and i would go out penny for the guy to raise money for fireworks..but over the years they have become a nuisance...november 5th used to be the day when the fireworks go off..now its a week or so before and a week or so after stretching it as long as they can...the bangs are really loud the animals terified and its no longer a fun thing..they should just have organised displays and thats that....i have a shop near to where i live selling nothing but fireworks...its amazing how people have so much money to buy these expensive fireworks..

[january_bug]

mullein - it's probably people who can't afford them that put them on the credit card, or fund it from a dodgy remortgage. How ironic that they get further into debt to risk scarring their, or their children for life.

jamesyboy - Surely the point is that the kids don't even twig that these are basically just pretty bombs!? I'm sure some buy them as weapons, but most buy them cos it's "cool" somehow. It's the innocence of the pretty lights, yet the naughtiness of the bang that draws them in, and they forget about the agony of a firwork going off in the face, and the premanent scarring. Do most kids actually buy fireworks to create terrorist weapons which they intend to use to maime and kill, or do they get them cos they look cool and might scare a few old grannies too!?

[Coobeastie]

From some news clippings i've seen the kids know full well that what they are buying are effectively legalised bombs. Telephone boxes have been blown up and only yesterday news that a large fire work had been strapped to a dog and detonated.

Its so much better to go to organised events. So I agree they should be banned from public sale.

[january_bug]

Clippings in which papers? Just curious! :-)