The majority of Bucks Free Press readers said they would back a ban on the public sale of fireworks as Bonfire night celebrations continue this weekend.

It’s officially bonfire night weekend, and while there are a variety of local events marking the tradition, some people are firmly wedded to ringing in the weekend with private fireworks displays in their back gardens.

Official events often have more regimented health and safety measures in place and are generally further removed from private property – just a few of the reasons some of our readers have said they would stand behind a ban on the private sale of fireworks, reserving the explosive displays for licensed gatherings.

On the Bucks Free Press Facebook page, we put the question to our online readers - should fireworks be banned from public sale?

Caroline Dix said she thought only sparklers should be made available for public purchase, adding that “too many irresponsible people” get hold of fireworks, resulting in more harm than good.

Emma Louise Robins agreed, emphasising the “proper health and safety” measures in place at registered events, and Jo Lambley said that outlawing public sale would ensure that fireworks were only deployed on “the correct days”.

Maxina Chapman suggested that a less hard-line approach could be to carry out more checks on the customers buying fireworks and Tracey Moore said the only fireworks on the general market should be “low noise” equivalents.

While the consensus was support for a ban on the public sale of fireworks, not everyone adhered to the general view. Jon Hobbs-Smith said: “(There are) too many fun sponges around these days.

“Fireworks was always great fun growing up and it would be very sad to lose that. As long as it’s done responsibly, then no one gets hurt.”

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Miryam-Amy Taylor, meanwhile, warned: “If this happens, licensed displays will become ridiculously expensive, and then everyone will moan about the price.”

It comes after Robin Stuchbury, a councillor and elected member of the Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority, told the Bucks Free Press that he would advise against holding garden fireworks displays this year.

He said: “An organised event has the backing of an accredited organisation who will have taken all appropriate safety precautions and notified the principal authorities.

“It is much better to have attended an organised community event, but it is a free world. What we don’t want is the emergency services to be overstretched because of fireworks. And always respect neighbours.”

It is against the law to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7pm, except for Bonfire Night, when the cut off is midnight, and New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut off time is 1am.