Good Evening,We know how pleased many of you will be, after last year’s lockdown, to see the return of public events on Bonfire Night and Diwali.If you are planning to buy your own fireworks, then please remember the below:Firework guidance

• Only buy fireworks from a legitimate retailer
• It is illegal to supply fireworks to persons under the age of 18
• It is an offence for under 18’s to have fireworks in a public place.
• You should never throw or set off a firework in the street, onto a road or in a public place.
• On Bonfire Night it is illegal to set off fireworks after midnight
• Anyone caught causing a nuisance with fireworks will receive an instant fine and any fireworks found on a person under 18 will be confiscated
• Never use any kind of accelerant i.e. petrol to start a bonfire.
• Be considerate and always inform your neighbours if you are using fireworks
• Ensure your fireworks comply with British Standard 7114 or the European equivalents (this was on the last WMNow and looks like the standard is still the same number)

West Midlands Fire Service also have some great tips around firework safety.

Remember to follow government guidelines in your local area to help keep you and the people you care about safe.

Dealing with anti-social behaviourWe sometimes see a rise in anti-social behaviour in the days between Halloween and Bonfire Night. If you are worried about anti-social behaviour please follow the advice below.

• You can report anti-social behaviour on our website via live chat between 8am-midnight
• Keep a diary of incidents of anti-social behaviour.  This gives us a history of events and can be used as part of the evidence gathering process

Information we receive from the community helps us identify common issues, hotspot locations, repeat offenders and patterns of behaviour

We also work closely with partner agencies, such as local councils, housing providers and schools, to tackle issues jointly, giving us greater powers to improve people’s lives.

Visit our website for crime prevention advice and safety tips.

To report a crime or incident, please contact us via Live Chat on our website www.west-midlands.police.uk between 8am – midnight or call 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.