Legislation Needed To Prevent Fireworks Being Used As Weapons Against Officers

“You’re literally selling explosives to people…I can’t believe society would tolerate this.”

Fireworks are being used as weapons against police officers and there need to be stricter point-of-sale controls, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

At the end of October, police officers from Doncaster’s off-road bike team were targeted with fireworks when they were investigating a theft. Thankfully no one was injured, but more reports came in from across the country of police officers being targeted with fireworks on Bonfire Night.

South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said: “Every year, we see it again, officers being assaulted and ambushed with fireworks. Something has got to be done about it.

“In Scotland there has been a fundamental law change in the way that fireworks are used this year [in ‘Fireworks Control Zones’, only people running professional fireworks displays can purchase fireworks].

“We’ve got to deal with the point-of-sale fireworks in this country, there needs to be a fundamental change to the way that fireworks are allowed to be sold. You can buy fireworks in every shop up and down the land. For me, if people want to use fireworks responsibly, they should have to apply for a permit to do so and go to the trouble of having to jump through some hoops to actually get hold of them.

“You’re literally selling explosives to people. When those explosives are then used against cops and members of the public, you’re chucking a rocket at somebody, you’re chucking a very small hand grenade at somebody. I can’t believe society would tolerate this.

“We’re not saying that we should ban them fully, we’re saying that it should be controlled, it should be regulated, and tightened up because cities up and down our country are turning into war zones on Bonfire weekend, and that is just not acceptable.”