I often get contacted by residents in November and at New Year about fireworks and their release.

Below are some extracts from Ask the Police, which readers should feel free to share.

As always this issue needs a common-sense approach of speaking to each other about concerns. I am always happy to hear from residents on this topic.

This is taken directly from www.askthe.police.uk

It is an offence to:

• possess adult fireworks (all fireworks except category 1 fireworks – party poppers, sparklers, throwdowns etc) in a public place by anyone under the age of 18;
• possess category 4 fireworks (professional display fireworks) by anyone other than a fireworks professional;
• it is illegal to supply adult fireworks to those under 18;
• throw or cast or fire any firework in or into any highway, street, thoroughfare or public space (this would include throwing or firing from a private place into a public place, street, highway etc);
• to light any fire or discharge any firearm or firework (without lawful authority or excuse) within 50 feet of the centre of a highway which consists of or comprises a carriageway, and as a consequence, the highway is damaged.

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 midnight 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).

The penalties for using fireworks outside the above curfew hours are imprisonment (maximum 6 months) and a substantial fine. Please note, you could also commit offences if they were being used to cause a nuisance.