'Sleep deprived' residents demand action on late-night fireworks

A mother says her young children including her three-year-old son, who has suspected autism and is sensitive to loud sounds, are being repeatedly woken by late-night fireworks in parts of a Lancashire town.

Lydia Ann Kay said displays in Nelson were at least weekly and sometimes continued until 04:00 BST, leaving her family "sleep deprived" and their dog shaking.

She is among residents calling for stronger action on fireworks, noisy vehicles and anti-social driving after a petition in the borough attracted more than 2,100 names.

Pendle Borough Council says it is aware of the petition, and complaints about fireworks and vehicle noise should be made to police. Lancashire Police did not comment.

Kay, a piano teacher who has lived in Nelson for about 10 years and grew up in nearby Brierfield, said the problem had become particularly bad during the past five years.

She said late-night fireworks happened at least weekly and sometimes about three times in one week, including an entire display at 04:00.

"It seems to be getting worse every single year," she said. "They seem to have got louder and louder."

Kay has a one-year-old child and a three-year-old son. She said her older child, who has suspected autism, struggled with loud sounds and was repeatedly woken by the fireworks.

"Both of them are sleep deprived. We're sleep deprived," she said.

She said the family's dog was also left shaking, panting and highly anxious.

Kay said the fireworks started during what she described as the summer wedding season and continued "all over summer".

She said the problem peaked again for several weeks around Bonfire Night. "We dread it every year," she said.

Kay would prefer fireworks to be restricted to organised displays, but said lower noise limits and controls on when they could be sold would also help.

She said the family loved its house and neighbourhood but the problems had made them consider moving.

"I've grown up in the area and I had a lovely childhood, but I don't think my children are going to get that same childhood living around here," she said, adding that she believed a lack of respect among some residents was contributing to the problem.

Nelson Community Masjid has also posted a light-hearted social media video urging drivers not to rev high-powered cars at night.

Afaq Khan, 49, has been an imam at the mosque for about 10 years and has lived in Nelson all his life.

He said the mosque had received an overwhelmingly positive response to its intervention.

"When I say our community, I mean everyone - people of all races and religions," he said.

Khan said the importance of caring for neighbours was regularly discussed at Friday prayers and through the mosque's other work, and he has spoken with locals who are struggling during the nights.

He said he believed those responsible were a minority and tended to be "young, young lads, usually".

Asked about suggestions that some of the noise was linked to weddings, including Asian weddings, he said weddings had been held in Nelson for decades without regular late-night fireworks or fast cars and described the problem as a more recent development.

He said the current situation was "terrible", but said better enforcement should be combined with education.

Khan said he believed police, schools and other agencies could "work together in partnership" to tackle the problem.

"We need to have some empathy for these people," he said. "They're suffering and all they want is a bit of peace at night."

Maria Williamson, 58, who works as a hospice midwife and has lived in Brierfield all her life, said there had recently been three days with "absolutely no let-up" from the noise.

Williamson said hearing the first firework or revving engine created "such a tension" and left her feeling sick because she expected the noise to continue.

"There's just no peace," she said.

"We've got an almost hatred for fireworks now because they are just so destructive of people's lives, for animals, for wildlife," she added.

Williamson said she also feared a stray spark could start a fire while the ground was so dry.

She said residents regularly organised litter picks, sometimes working with the mosque, and described her street as a good community where neighbours supported one another.

"It's horrible to think that this beautiful area is being dragged to a point where people don't want to come," she said.

The petition calls on Lancashire Police to take stronger action against excessive vehicle noise, anti-social driving and the unlawful use of fireworks.

Lancashire Police did not provide comment, despite multiple requests.

Pendle Borough Council chief executive Dean Langton said the issues were "incredibly frustrating for everyone" and that noisy vehicles were a Community Safety Partnership priority.

The council said its night-time noise service did not investigate fireworks or road-vehicle noise.

It said it worked with Lancashire Police through the Prosper Partnership to address vehicle nuisance in Brierfield and parts of Nelson. It also backed stronger national controls over firework sales, enforced by Trading Standards.

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Clive Grunshaw, said he understood "the concern" and encouraged people experiencing problems linked to fireworks to report incidents so police could identify patterns and target resources.

Pendle and Clitheroe MP Jonathan Hinder said he had recently brought the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Clive Grunshaw and a Lancashire Police chief inspector to Nelson to discuss fireworks, dangerous driving and other anti-social behaviour.

Hinder said residents often could not identify exactly where fireworks were being set off.

"Without more dedicated police resources to pinpoint locations and investigate reports there and then, I am concerned that response and neighbourhood teams will not be able to solve this," he said.

Following the visit, Grunshaw said there was "always more work to be done", while praising officers' "proactive efforts" and expertise in roads policing.

The concerns are not confined to Pendle. In neighbouring Burnley, MP Oliver Ryan said he contacted police almost every week about complaints on behalf of residents.

Ryan said larger fireworks should be banned for domestic use and the sale of general fireworks more tightly restricted.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it worked with councils and Trading Standards on firework sales, particularly before Bonfire Night, but had no authority to limit their use.

It advised people who believed fireworks were being used dangerously or sold illegally to contact Lancashire Police and Trading Standards.

It is normally illegal to set off fireworks between 23:00 and 07:00. Later cut-offs apply on Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year.

It is also illegal to modify an exhaust system to make a vehicle noisier after it has been type-approved. Police can take action over defective silencers or driving that creates excessive noise.

Lancashire's PCC told the BBC regulation of fireworks was largely a matter for national government but said he supported efforts to tackle their "illegal and irresponsible use".

A government consultation proposes reducing the maximum noise limit for consumer fireworks and is also seeking views on louder products remaining available to professional users.

The consultation closes on 7 October.

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