Warning issued for bonfire night (From Warrington Guardian)

Warning issued for bonfire night

2:00pm Wednesday 31st October 2012 in News

WARRINGTON Trading Standards is urging the public to not put themselves and the community at risk by only buy fireworks from reputable businesses.

Retailers stocking fireworks must be registered with the council and it is up to trading standards officers to make sure safety standards and correct storage is being upheld.

But unofficial premises and door-to-door sellers do not have to abide by these standards and their fireworks could be poor quality, unsafe or counterfeit and could cause fires or serious injury.

Despite these potentially dangerous consequences officers have seen an increase in the illegal sale of fireworks from people’s homes.

This poses wider community concerns that fireworks are being sold to underage people and restricted fireworks only intended for professional displays are also being bought.

Clr David Keane, executive board member for environment and public protection, said: “I would urge community members to be vigilant at this time of year and report any suspicious firework sales or the sale of fireworks to anyone under 18 to the trading standards services.

“I would advise residents to follow the Fireworks Code when dealing with fireworks so that everyone can enjoy a safe bonfire night.”