Update on Pendle Fireworks and Cars

I thought I should provide everyone with an update.

When the petition reached 2,000 signatures, we sent it to the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable (via the Commissioner’s office), the MP for Pendle, the MP for Burnley and Brierfield, the local council, the Chief Fire Officer and a BBC journalist.

So far, I have received responses from both MPs and a holding response from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. I have heard nothing from the others and, most disappointingly, nothing at all from Lancashire Police.

The BBC, however, took the issue very seriously. They covered the campaign on radio, television and the BBC website, and there has also been coverage in the local press. The BBC told me that they too had approached Lancashire Police for comment but received no response.

That raises a very simple question:

Who are Lancashire Police accountable to?

Unfortunately, since the BBC coverage — and since some local mosques have publicly supported our campaign — the situation appears to have become worse. We have seen even more fireworks being let off.

It is difficult not to interpret this as a deliberate two-fingered response to residents who have dared to complain. Those responsible clearly do not appear to fear either the police or the consequences of breaking the law. At the moment, they seem able to behave with impunity, while the people who have to live with the noise are simply expected to put up with it.

So, what can we do now?

1. Keep the petition growing.
The petition will remain open and our next target is 3,000 signatures. Please continue to share it.

2. Contact your MP.
If you can spare five minutes, please email your local MP and ask them to intervene:

Jonathan Hinder MP: jonathan.hinder.mp@parliament.uk
Oliver Ryan MP: oliver.ryan.mp@parliament.uk

The more constituents who contact them independently, the harder this issue becomes to ignore.

To save you time, you may wish to use or adapt the following:

I am a signatory to the petition “Protect Our Peace – End Noise Pollution from Cars and Fireworks in Pendle.”

The petition, supported by more than 2,000 local people, was submitted to Lancashire Police over a week ago, yet the organisers have received no response.

As you will be aware, the petition subsequently attracted the attention of the BBC, which ran a number of features across television, radio and online. I understand that the BBC also approached Lancashire Police for comment but received no response.

This lack of engagement, together with a 101 and online reporting system which appears to discourage reports of antisocial noise by directing residents towards the local council, raises a serious question about accountability.

Thousands of local residents are saying that this behaviour is having a real impact on their quality of life. They deserve to know who is taking responsibility for tackling it and what action is going to be taken.

I would therefore be grateful if you would write to the Chief Constable and ask Lancashire Police to arrange a meeting with the petition organisers. This would allow residents to explain directly what it is like to live with this persistent noise and, importantly, allow Lancashire Police to explain what they intend to do about it.

I would also be grateful if you would attend that meeting personally.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Please do send an email if you can. More than 2,000 people have already said that enough is enough. If we want action, we now need to make sure those responsible for policing our communities cannot simply ignore us.