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Night time ban for fireworks
Hooligans who set off noisy fireworks at night could face serious penalties under new proposals set out today.
A national curfew would ban the use of fireworks between 11pm and 7am. People who break the curfew could receive a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in jail. The ban would run from 2am until 7am on New Years Eve, 5 November, Diwali Night and Chinese New Year.
The proposals, contained in a consultation paper published today, would crack down on the anti-social use of fireworks and be in place for this year's firework season.
A noise limit of 120 decibels is proposed for the largest and most powerful publicly available fireworks. A new licensing system would be put in place for retailers that sell fireworks all year round.
Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said fireworks cause a real disturbance in local communities if they get into the hands of irresponsible hooligans.
"These proposals tighten up the laws governing the importation, sale and use of fireworks, cracking down on the excess noise and nuisance that often keeps people awake at night and causes misery to pets and other animals."
The consultation will from Friday 23 April until Friday 2 July. |
