Stay safe

With thousands of fireworks being sold across the borough, it’s important to stay safe while you enjoy the festivities.

You can do this by following these simple rules:

• Stand well back
• Light fireworks at arm’s length, using a taper
• Do not put fireworks in your pockets
• Never throw fireworks
• Keep fireworks in a closed box in a safe place
• Never return to a firework once it is lit
• Read instructions with a torch, never a naked flame
• Children using sparklers should be supervised at all times

Make sure you only buy from a reputable seller – the chances are if you buy them on the street or from the back of a van, they could be dangerous.

Council officers will be visiting shops selling fireworks to make sure they are following the correct storage and sales regulations and will be clamping down on any traders they catch selling illegal fireworks or who allow under-18s to buy any at all.

Fireworks - the law

• Fireworks must not be sold to any person under 18 years old.
• Under national legislation, it is an offence to use fireworks
  between 11pm and 7am, except for certain nights. These
  include:
  • Bonfire Night – midnight;
  • Diwali – 1am;
  • New Year’s Eve – 1am;
  • Chinese New Year – 1am.

Council officers will be out on the streets to enforce the curfews

• Throwing or setting off fireworks in public places is illegal. The maximum fine is £5,000 or six months in prison
• The possession of fireworks by anyone under the age of 18 in a public place is illegal

To report misuse of fireworks, call your local Safer Neighbourhood Team. For more information visit www.met.police.uk/ealing

To report suspected illegal firework sales, call trading standards on (020) 8825 6086.