People setting off fireworks at the wrong time tonight could face a £5,000 fine

People are facing fines of up to £5,000 for setting off fireworks at a certain time tonight under new rules laid out by the government.

After last year’s November 5th celebrations were cancelled as a result of the pandemic, there will undoubtedly be thousands of people celebrating bonfire night this evening with bonfires and fireworks.

However, if you’re setting off your own fireworks at home, you could be slapped with a £5,000 fine, or in extreme circumstances, even imprisonment as a result of the new legal timings permitted for fireworks.

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On November 5th, Bonfire Night, people can set off fireworks from their gardens up until midnight. The timings are also extended on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, where fireworks can be set off until 1am.

However, outside of these dates, you can not set any fireworks off between the hours of 11pm and 7am – this will also apply to Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

People caught setting off fireworks at the wrong time risk a £90 on-the-spot fine while people caught using fireworks illegally can be hit with fines as high as £5,000 and even six months behind bars.

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There are a number of other rules surrounding the use of fireworks that people need to be conscious of, which are the following:

• Fireworks must sit on a scale of F1 to F4 depending on their size and the scale of the reaction. For example, F1 fireworks include party poppers and sparklers.
• Fireworks which fall under the F2 and F3 category and intended for garden display use respectively, and can only be purchased by people over eighteen years old.
• F4 fireworks are professional fireworks and can only be used by specialist companies.
• If you are setting off fireworks from your garden, you should also be aware that it is an offence to cast or light fireworks from your property into a public place – including a park or street.

It is also recommended that you call the police on 101 if you believe fireworks are being set off outside the legal times, or 999 in emergencies only.

For more information on the dos and don’ts surrounding bonfire night, head over to the government’s website.