Fireworks over ongoing disturbances in Luton as rockets make lives a misery again

Fireworks being set off at all hours and across many areas of Luton are making the lives of many residents a misery once again.

Luton Borough Council says, with the exception of a few days each year, letting fireworks off between 11pm and 7am is against the law.

It has also pointed out that large fines are possible and even a jail sentence for those who ignore the rules.

After reporting on the issue last year, The Luton News was contacted last week by one Downs Road resident who said for the past fortnight he’d been disturbed by fireworks coming from the Bury Park area, stating: “The local council are useless and so are the local police, if I blasted out music at all hours I’ll soon get a knock at my door.”

And it appears he isn’t suffering alone, as after posting his message on our Luton Herald & Post Facebook page scores of people living all over town expressed their anger too.

One woman said: “We hear fireworks in the Wigmore area a lot, sometimes past 11pm. Not great when it’s so warm you need the windows open and you have young kids trying to sleep.”

Another said: “I live in Farley Hill and they go off near my house between 11.30 and 12.30 every night of the week. Not funny when it wakes the kids up.”

Another resident said: “We’ve had it in Lewsey/Dunstable borders, at all hours from 9pm - 2am for weeks too. Annoying when people have to get up at 4.30am for work, and with the dog. Something needs to be done when it’s that late, cos some of them sound like a building explosion or something. I know loads of people not happy about it.”

Other comments included:

> They’ve been going off, close to midnight, where I live, seems to be wedding celebrations round my way. They don’t seem to do it just the one night though, seems like close to a week.”

> “We get plenty up in Sundon Park, Hockwell Ring, Marsh Farm.”

> “Tonight again, blasting away at 12:30. Woke me up now I can’t sleep... again... what the hell is this obsession with fireworks in Luton?”

> “There some going on right now at the close by the roundabout on Wauluds Bank Drive. Inconsiderate idiots. The poor dogs in the neighbourhood are traumatised.

> All these posts about the fireworks and yet nothing gets done. To report it is a minefield and you’re put in the firing line because someone will find out who reported them, really pathetic. These need to be banned, even the sound of them are like guns being fired! Poor wildlife and people’s furbabies also those who have mental health issues, this isn’t good for them either as well as those who have to get up early in the morning!”

> Yeah it’s all the time, quite often before it’s dark, as well as through to 3am sometimes, really don’t get it at all.

> “The local council are useless”.. It’s not the council’s responsibility to enforce the law it is the police. The police don’t have the resources to investigate fireworks, they barely have enough resources to investigate more serious crime. If you want to stop it then people will have to start reporting their neighbours to the police with evidence.

A Luton Council spokesman said: “Not only can the use of fireworks be extremely inconsiderate towards residents in an area far beyond their point of release, but it is against the law to let them off between 11pm and 7am.

“Breaking this curfew could mean an on-the-spot fine of £90, a fine of up to £5,000 or even a six months’ jail sentence.

“The only exceptions are 5 November, when fireworks are allowed until midnight, and New Year, Chinese New Year and Diwali displays, which are allowed to continue until 1am.”

He added that if anyone wished to report the illegal use of fireworks, they should contact the police via www.bedfordshire.police.uk/reportA spokesman for Beds Police said: “There are a number of legislations around the use of fireworks, which should be adhered too. If fireworks are being set off outside these legislations, it should be reported to the police. For more information about the laws of fireworks and advice on how to safely use them, visit our website www.bedfordshire.police.uk/A-Z/Fireworks-night”

Is it a problem near where you live too? Email your views to [email protected]READ MORE: Complaints of nuisance fireworks reported across Luton