Lancashire emergency services are joining forces to tackle anti-social behaviour and promote safety ahead of this year’s Bonfire Night celebrations.
As part of the ongoing work, Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) have been visiting schools across East Lancashire to raise awareness about the dangers of fireworks and the importance of behaving responsibly during the festivities.
These educational sessions aim to highlight how reckless behaviour can harm local communities and place additional strain on emergency services.
The initiative also highlights the legal consequences of anti-social behaviour and addresses issues such as hoax calls, which can divert critical medical resources, and attacks on emergency service workers and vehicles using fireworks.
Chief inspector Steph Armes of Lancashire Police emphasised the zero-tolerance approach that will be taken towards anti-social behaviour, assuring the communities of East Lancashire that those involved in such activities will face serious consequences. She said, “We want everyone to enjoy Halloween and Bonfire Night, but we are urging our communities to celebrate safely and responsibly.
“During this period, we will be working closely alongside our partners to prevent fireworks-related disorder and anti-social behaviour. Any of this kind of activity will not be tolerated, and we will take firm action against anyone engaging in it.
“There will be increased patrols across our ASB hotspot areas, and we would encourage members of the public to report any concerns to us.
“Fireworks are dangerous, and one night of carelessness could lead to devastating consequences – both for the victims and for the individuals responsible. We would like to ask all parents to think about their children and their whereabouts in the coming weeks, to be aware of what they are doing and who with.”
Tom Cookson, head of response & emergency planning at LFRS, said: “Working closely with our partners is essential in our daily operations, especially during events like Bonfire Night when demand on our services are high. By joining forces, emergency services can provide vital, life-saving support and often lessen the resources needed at an incident, helping us to prioritise help where it’s most urgently needed.”
Jason Eddings, NWAS group manager, said, “Collaboration between the emergency services over this period is essential as we’ve seen several crews targeted with fireworks over the last few years. The consequences of these attacks are not just the adverse effects on our staff’s health and well-being, but they also reduce our ability to respond to the public when they need us most by taking resources off the road.”
You can also report anti-social behaviour online to your local council, or anonymously via independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.
Image credit: Paul Maguire
