November 5 is marked every year across the UK with fireworks and bonfires, with the date more widely known as Bonfire Night. Police have now clarified the rules on fireworks and the penalties people could face for breaking them.
On Ask The Police, a website run by police forces across the UK, one person asked: “What are the rules relating to fireworks?” Officers set out the guidance and explained that curfew hours apply. The Police said it is an offence to:
Is there a curfew for fireworks?
There is a curfew on the use of adult fireworks between 11 pm and 7 am, except on:
- Bonfire Night (when the curfew is between 12 am and 7 am)
- New Year’s Eve (when the curfew is between 1 am and 7 am)
- Chinese New Year (when the curfew is between 1 am and 7 am)
- Diwali Night (when the curfew is between 1 am and 7 am)
Police say anyone setting off fireworks outside the curfew could face punishment, including a heavy fine and up to six months in jail. They also warn that using fireworks in a way that causes a nuisance may amount to an offence.
Jail and an on-the-spot fine
Gov.uk confirms that if you set off fireworks past the curfew, you could find yourself in trouble. It urges people to check with their local council to find out about any local rules for setting off fireworks.
It states that you can only buy fireworks (including sparklers) from registered sellers for private use on these dates:
- October 15 to November 10
- December 26 to 31
- 3 days before Diwali and Chinese New Year
It adds: “At other times, you can only buy fireworks from licensed shops. You can be fined an unlimited amount and imprisoned for up to 6 months for selling or using fireworks illegally. You could also get an on-the-spot fine of £90.”
Why do we celebrate Guy Fawkes Day?
Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire Night, is an event held on November 5 every year. It marks the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a group led by Robert Catesby planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament and kill King James I.
According to Britannica, the Plot conspirators were “zealous Roman Catholics enraged at King James I for refusing to grant greater religious tolerance to Catholics.”
The plan was uncovered and Guy Fawkes was arrested on the eve of the attack while guarding the explosives. The remaining conspirators were hunted down, killed or captured, and all later executed. Parliament later declared November 5 a national day of thanksgiving, first observed in 1606.
Remember…
Traditionally, straw figures of Guy Fawkes were thrown onto the bonfire. In the days before Guy Fawkes Day, children carried these figures – known as “Guys” – around the streets and asked passers-by for “a penny for the guy,” often chanting rhymes linked to the event. The best-known one dates back to the 18th century. You may know it…
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
Gunpowder treason and plot
We see no reason
Why Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot….
