Tighter rules on firework sales - making it a criminal offence to buy them for Under 18s - will be in force in the run up to bonfire night West Lothian’s Community Safety Board has heard.
The council will be part of a joint operation including the police and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the days around Bonfire night.
Six planned bonfire events have been licensed in the county and these are recommended as the safest way to enjoy the weekend.
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They are: November 4; West Calder Community playing fields 7pm; November 5; Calderwood, East Calder 6-11.30pm; Deer Park Golf and Country Club 6pm-8pm; Bedlormie Drive, Blackridge, 3pm to 8pm and Linlithgow Rugby Club 5.30pm to 11pm.
In West Lothian a rolling programme to deliver the "Fearless" campaign across all of West Lothian's high schools continues and is aimed at educating and encouraging 11-16 year olds to speak out about crime.
An anonymous reporting system run by Crimestoppers, Fearless provides a bespoke website offering advice, help and support to young people on the issues surrounding crime and criminality as well as a safe place to provide anonymous information regarding crime and its perpetrators.
And a report to the committee said: “Fearless media messaging makes reference to proxy purchasing. Education material and Media messaging will be shared through the appropriate channels.
It added: “Any suspected illegal selling of fireworks should be reported via the Police non-emergency number 101 or anonymously on Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. The Crimestoppers media campaign on the illegal selling of fireworks and misuse of fireworks will support the partnership messages.”
Fire officers began visiting high schools this week.
The Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 were amended in 2021 to tighten up regulations around when fireworks can be sold and used.
Fireworks may only be used by the general public during the permitted hours of day 6pm-11pm.
The exempted days when fireworks may be used outside of these hours are: 5 November, when they can be used from 6pm until midnight; New Year’s Eve, the night of Chinese New Year and the night of Diwali, when they can be used from 6pm until 1am.
New legislation, the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Bill, has been passed and although not all articles will be adopted for 2022 the Fireworks Review Group recommended that a proxy purchasing offence be introduced making it a criminal offence to supply fireworks to under 18s. This is expected to be in place prior to 5 November.
Trading Standards (TS) will try to visit all firework retailers to ensure compliance with regulations and to share safety advice for customers. Where possible, Trading Standards will carry out test purchasing of direct sales to under 18’s in retail environments. Locations of confirmed retailers and pop-up shops will be shared with SFRS to update Operational Intelligence.
Councillor Kirsteen Sullivan said: “I‘d like to thank all partners involved in this comprehensive report. Many of you will know that in the past misuse of fireworks has been an issue in my own ward of Blackburn and the efforts in recent years through the Blackburn Bonfire Action Group have really made a difference in the community and have significantly reduced the the incidents of anti-social sometimes criminal behaviour in the past of with regards to fireworks. That’s down to partnership efforts.”
A community event sponsored by the action group will take place in Blackburn Partnership Centre on 29thOctober from 1pm to 4pm.
During 2021 the busiest wards during the bonfire plan period were Blackburn and Whitburn, Livingston South, Livingston North, East Livingston and East Calder. Recent trends suggest that Bathgate, Livingston South and Livingston North have experienced the most deliberate fires over the summer months.
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