Photograph: Nick Kirk/Alamy
Firework-free zones and restrictions on sales have been recommended as part of a “cultural shift” to tackle the antisocial use of fireworks in Scotland.
The Scottish government pledged to change the nation’s approach to fireworks after the recommendations from an expert group.
Public fireworks displays have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic but riot police across Scotland are on standby for Bonfire Night on Thursday, amid mounting concerns about pressure on the emergency services.
As in previous years, local communities have reported disruption weeks ahead of the day itself. Last Saturday, fireworks were set off in the direction of police during a disturbance in Dundee involving about 100 young people.
The independent Firework Review Group was commissioned by the Scottish government last year after residents of Glasgow’s Southside led a campaign for tighter restrictions after enduring years of reckless use.
The group’s recommendations, published on Tuesday, include localised “no-firework zones”, limits on the times of day fireworks can be sold and the number that can be bought together, and restrictions on when they can be set off. It also proposes making it an offence for adults to buy fireworks on behalf of under-18s.
Endorsing the proposals at Holyrood, community safety minister, Ash Denham, told MSPs: “The kind of cultural shift we are seeking to achieve will not happen overnight. We will be guided by the voices of the people who came across so strongly in the public consultation.” Denham said that, with 16,000 responses, the consultation indicated “a strong appetite for change”.
Community activist Danny Philips, who spearheaded the Glasgow campaign, said the announcement on fireworks was disappointing:
“It is two years since we were promised action on fireworks. And today, the minister simply reiterated the terms of reference of the Scottish government firework review group. The minister even warned that she might not have parliamentary time to legislate before the Scottish parliamentary elections.”
Denham acknowledged that the cancellation of public displays might encourage more people to consider holding parties in back gardens, and urged the public to act responsibly, saying: “I would also ask them to consider the various harmful impacts the noise of fireworks can have, including on our veterans, those with sensory issues and on our pets and livestock.”
Assistant chief constable Tim Mairs, who is in charge of Operation Moonbeam, Police Scotland’s annual response to violence and antisocial behaviour around Bonfire Night, said: “Divisional commanders will be given significant levels of specialist resource, including public order-trained officers, to supplement their local policing teams and help them address any issues that arise.”
