Firework review welcomed as 'blight' continues

Residents, campaigners and politicians have welcomed news of a government-led public consultation into legislation around fireworks.

The review will examine current rules around the sale, use and noise limits of fireworks, according to the Department for Business and Trade.

It proposes restricting the availability of noisier fireworks, banning some of the more dangerous items and reviewing regulations round those currently classed as lower risk.

Bradford MPs Anna Dixon, Robbie Moore and Judith Cummins welcomed the plans, with campaigners saying they felt they had "at last" been heard.

In 2019, Inayah Sher set up a Whatsapp group in Bradford for people to share their experiences of anti-social fireworks use.

She would like to see them restricted to organised celebrations such as Bonfire Night, Diwali and New Year's Eve.

"This is news that we've been praying and waiting for. It just feels like someone has listened, someone has heard our pleas, our concerns, the emails that we've sent, and the protests that we've done, the petitions that we've signed, and at last we've been heard."

Sher has a dog and two cats and said she is "deeply concerned" about the impact the noise has on animals.

"I see how petrified our dog becomes as soon as he hears the blasting sounds of fireworks every night," she said.

"It used to be every week on a weekend to celebrate weddings. Now it's happening as a daily occurrence, starting from daytime up until sometimes, I mean the worst that we've heard is at four in the morning."

She said the main cause of the issue is weddings, with people continuing to celebrate after venues close at about 22:00.

"If you live in Bradford you will know that they're not fireworks that we would hear in the 1970s, these are like bomb sounds.

"It doesn't last for about a minute, sometimes it can last up to three to four minutes."

According to the government, about 20m people take part in fireworks activities at home each year.

Under current regulations, they must not be sold to anyone under the age of 18, anyone storing more than 5kg must be licensed and their use is subject to a curfew.

They generally cannot be used after 23:00, with exceptions on specific celebrations, and they cannot be set off in public places without permission.

Shipley Labour MP Anna Dixon, who has campaigned on the issue since 2024, called the consultation "a monumental step forward".

"I have been raising this issue consistently throughout my time in Parliament after hearing time and again from residents across the Shipley constituency about the real harm that excessively loud fireworks are causing, particularly to older people, veterans living with PTSD, children, pets and wildlife.

"Quite rightly most of us simply want peace and quiet in our own homes," she said.

Zora Bibi, 54, lives with her family near West Park in Girlington, a popular spot for letting off fireworks.

She hoped the consultation would lead to meaningful change rather than "just shouting in a bubble".

"They keep us awake - once you wake up at my age, you can't go back to sleep and it's also very late in the night," she said.

"In the summer holidays, when they kick in, it will be seven days a week and very unsociable hours - we're talking after midnight until four in the morning."

She said the consultation was "brilliant" and more needs to be done to regulate the sale and use of fireworks.

Originally from Birmingham, Bibi said it seemed to be a particularly Bradford problem - especially around weddings.

"I moved to Bradford about 30 years ago and I still have relatives dotted around the country and and I've not heard that the Brummies do this.

"They would much rather spend their money on something in the wedding that's a bit more decent. It's just very much a cultural, Bradfordian thing that fireworks are let off."

She said she also sees groups of teenage boys letting off fireworks in West Park, and is frustrated that children have access to dangerous products.

"I don't think you should be able to let off fireworks in a public place anyway because if there's a child who's walking by, a dog or a cat, they'll get hit.

"Why do they allow it in this particular park? What's attracting lads to come and do it here on an evening and on a night?"

Bradford South Labour MP Judith Cummins described fireworks as a "year-round blight".

"Most people enjoy fireworks responsibly, but people across Bradford know only too well the caused by a thoughtless minority who misuse them," she said.

"Residents regularly tell me about the distress this causes to families, older people, veterans and pet owners, and the impact it has on neighbourhoods."

Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley Robbie Moore said the consultation was a "step in the right direction".

"We suffer with fireworks being let off throughout the year, throughout the night by irresponsible individuals who cause misery across our neighbourhoods, distress vulnerable people, and leave pet owners living in fear," she added.

The 12-week public consultation will be led by Halifax Labour MP and Minister for Consumer Protection, Kate Dearden.

She said excessively loud fireworks have become a "nightmare for many communities".

"Every year between Halloween and Bonfire Night, we book an Airbnb in rural Northumberland just to get away from the constant fireworks.

"It's the only way our family and our dogs can get some peace," she said.

"The sound of large explosions on residential streets is a cause of fear, disrupted sleep, and does huge harm to our beloved pets.

"It is a practice that also often goes alongside wider forms of anti-social behaviour."

But one West Bowling resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he has concerns about how many people the consultation will reach.

"I want it to be so widely distributed that they get a full sense of how it feels to members of the public, because it could be swayed towards business and people who want these things to continue rather than the general public," he said.

"I don't think it's very accessible. When I've looked at the questions, they are so complex and they are so technical in the way they're designed that it's going to be out of the reach of many people in the population.

"I don't think they have made it as user-friendly as they could have to reach the right people."