Fireworks have become a year-round menace, not just on Bonfire Night - Jayne Dowle
So all power to campaigners in Bradford, who are welcoming news that national efforts to toughen up laws around anti-social firework use have reached the next stage. It’s not the organised events - often for charity - or the responsible firework companies at fault, it’s the idiots who can’t help themselves regularly disturbing the peace of others who need bringing to heel.
A new bill urging tighter restrictions on noise levels as well as stricter rules for sellers had started to make its way through parliament, with a major debate due to be held in January.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOne Bradford campaigner, Shabaz Hussain, told the BBC that regular antisocial fireworks in his neighbourhood deeply impacts his autistic daughter.


"I want something done," he said. "I think there are various people out there who hold a responsibility to make things happen."
Mr Hussain's daughter is traumatised by the noise of fireworks, and subsequently this affects everyone around her and is very difficult for the family to deal with.
He said the loud sounds meant she didn't sleep, with her family and neighbours disturbed by her distressed reaction which can last for several hours.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSarah Owen, MP for Luton North, has recently gained a first reading for her new fireworks bill, calling for stricter rules for sellers and a 90-decibel limit on noise from fireworks - an equivalent of lawn mower noise.
"At the current levels, it's 120 decibels, which is the same loudness as a rock concert or an aircraft taking off," she says.
"No one wants to stop any fun or any celebrations, but it's about making sure that it's safe and considerate for everybody around us.
The Bradford 4 Better group, which had long called for a legislative overhaul, said the latest steps, alongside a second bill started by Bradford South MP Judith Cummins earlier this year, were "a positive move".
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis comes as RoSPA (Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents), reports that in the last 12 months, the UK has seen a 146 per cent rise from 13 casualties in 2022 to 32 casualties from firework-related incidents in 2023, according to Home Office data. It’s not just the noise; it’s the lack of care and attention to safety that’s a concern, shared by several supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s which stopped selling fireworks in 2019.
I’m sending the Bradford campaigners strength on behalf of my poor dog, George, who has been in a terrible state almost every evening since the third week of October.
George is a rescue dog, so we have no idea what traumas he experienced before he joined the family four and half years ago.
What I do know is that he is absolutely terrified of the noise that the loudest fireworks make. One bang and he’s in a state of distress which can take hours to pass. The next evening, he starts to get anxious even though it might be quiet outside.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe vet says it’s PTSD. Whatever I do to reassure and protect him – the latest method is to close all the blinds, gather him next to me on the sofa with a blanket and blast out Classic FM to the absolute max – once darkness falls, he’s in a constant state of high alert.
Because he’s expecting what must sound to him like a terrifying explosion, he will jump up at the slightest noise, then either try to escape the room, even scratching at the door and frame, or find somewhere to hide, shaking and dithering, wide-eyed with fear. It’s absolutely pitiful to observe.
He’s been prescribed tranquillisers, but I try to keep these for ‘special’ occasions, such as November 5, Bonfire Night itself, and New Year’s Eve.
The problem is, and this is highlighted by the Bradford campaigners, is that fireworks are now being let off at all times of day and night, all year round.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe one that set off George’s extreme anxiety this year? Someone in the village decided that the best way to honour the one-year anniversary of the death of his friend was to let off an early evening ricochet of what sounded like grenades.
When dog, cat, horse-owners and parents of sleeping babies took to local social media to complain, the perpetrator responded defiantly in no uncertain terms, saying – and I paraphrase for politeness – we’d better all get used to it because this memorial was going to become an annual event.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.