For many years, twice every year, hundreds of starlings have been sent flying out in blind terror in the middle of the night from their traditional roost under Bideford Long Bridge. The sudden huge explosions send them hurtling into the river water where they drown, or smashing into buildings to be killed or injured, or flying blindly into 'revellers', under whose feet the stunned birds risk further harm. This is cruel and utterly unacceptable. It must stop. Let there be no more years of this carnage! Year after year organisers have promised to do better, year after year there is no significant improvement, and New Year's Eve 2018 was just as bad as previous years. It is now essential for Torridge District Council to join Bideford Town Council in accepting responsibility for allowing this cruelty which contaminates Bideford. They also must refuse to permit any further firework events to take place anywhere near Bideford Bridge, as well as insisting on a much reduced noise level for all future displays, including those that are privately funded, and so put an end to the barbarous carnage of the starlings. Make alternative arrangements for this and all future years.