The loudest and noisiest possible Fireworks are being used locally.

Please encourage family members, friends and colleagues to sign this petition.  We are now over 1,300 local signatories.  We are advised that to get the Police to sit up and listen we need 2,000!  Please help use get there.

We now have a facebook page - Pendle Against Noise Pollution - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590212442381 - please follow.

The Pendle MP Jonathan Hinder has asked for evidence for the Government review of firework laws.

Fireworks are becoming a growing problem in Pendle, particularly during wedding celebrations, and it's time for a serious discussion about how they are regulated.

A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that there were 248 fireworks complaints in the Nelson area over the last three years. Despite this, there was only ONE penalty notice issued and NO prosecutions.

In the one case the police pursued, a 20-minute firework display took place at 1:00am. Based on the quantity of fireworks used, the display likely cost around £2,000, yet the only action taken was a £70 fixed penalty notice. That is clearly not an effective deterrent.

The police already have powers available to them but appear reluctant to use them. For prolonged or large-scale incidents, there should be proper investigations and court prosecutions rather than token fines.

Another concern is the type of fireworks being used. Many displays involve Category F3 fireworks, which are designed for use in large open outdoor areas and require spectators to be at least 25 metres away.

 These are extremely powerful, very loud, and are only one category below professional-use fireworks. Yet they are regularly being set off in residential areas and often in the early hours of the morning.

I believe there are several changes worth considering:

• Stronger enforcement and prosecution of repeat or serious offenders.
• Restrictions on the sale and delivery of Category F3 fireworks.
• Greater powers for local councils to control when and where fireworks can be used.
• A licensing system for fireworks used outside currently permitted dates, with fees helping to cover enforcement costs.

Most people have no objection to responsible celebrations. The issue is when entire neighbourhoods are woken up at 1am by large-scale firework displays with little or no consequence for those responsible.

What are your thoughts? Should local authorities have more powers to tackle this issue? And please share this petition.