A youth was arrested for possession of fireworks and a public order offence at Ellesmere Port’s Festival Park on Bonfire Night (November 5).
Drivers were also warned by police on Twitter last night about reports of fireworks being thrown across the road in the Overpool area of the town.
It is against the law for under 18s to buy ‘adult’ fireworks and illegal to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am – the cut off is midnight on Bonfire Night.
And the law says people must not set off or throw fireworks – including sparklers – in the street or other public places.
Transgressors can be fined up to £5,000 and imprisoned for up to six months for selling or using fireworks illegally. Offenders can also be issued with an on-the-spot £90 fine.
Despite these isolated incidents, it appears it was a relatively quiet night in terms of Bonfire Night-related incidents in West Cheshire, with ‘nothing’ reported by Chester fire crews. Ellesmere Port Fire Station had a busier night with around 15 call-outs overnight from 5pm, although this may include duplicate reports.
Crew manager Mark Pomford, based at Ellesmere Port, said his team did not encounter anti-social behaviour or ‘so much as a swear word’ directed at them. In many cases, the ‘shouts’ related to bonfires reported to be out of control but on arrival crews found nothing amiss and ‘sensible people enjoying themselves’.
He was thankful crews were able to respond to regular incidents without delay.
One was a small fire at a house in Willaston, reported about 8.15pm, in which a log in a stack had fallen next to an ignited log burner causing it to smoulder.
There was a second incident, about 8.45pm, involving a bathroom fire at a property Silverne Drive, Ellesmere Port.
Crew manager Pomford commented: “If the fire engines had been tied up at Bonfire Night-related incidents then these house fires could have ended up being more serious.”
He said sensible behaviour by the public together with pro-active initiatives had kept the number of Bonfire Night call-outs ‘low’.
