10pm curfew for bonfires
Wednesday 28th October 2009, 7:00PM GMT.
Firefighters could be brought in to put out bonfires burning in Shrewsbury after 10pm over the Guy Fawkes Night weekend under a police clampdown on anti-social behaviour.
The force claims previous bonfire night events have been marred by a series of ugly incidents in recent years, including fireworks being thrown at firefighters and opportunist fires started in unsafe locations.
Officers today launch- ed a crackdown that could see any fires still alight after 10pm between November 5 and 7 put out by the fire service.
Constable Andy Gardner, local policing officer for Sundorne and Battlefield, said bonfire night often resulted in anti-social behaviour in the town.
He said: “In recent years there have been instances of unsupervised, late-night bonfires on many of the estates around Shrewsbury.
“On occasion people’s wheelie bins have been stolen to fuel the fires and fence panels ripped down and burnt.
“Two years ago there were several incidents of fire crews having fireworks thro-wn at them and equipment stolen from an appliance, which resulted in the fire engine being rendered unusable.”
He said the ruling would be enforced on all housing estates in the town and “co-mmon sense” would be used on fires outside the area.
“We feel that 10pm is an appropriate cut-off point as the vast majority of organised bonfires are finished by then,” he said.
“We are anxious to stop the unauthorised fires which are lit as a result of anti-social behaviour. So any fires burning beyond 10pm face being extinguished by the fire service.”
Constable Gardner said a letter was being sent to all Severnside Housing residents asking them to ensure any bonfires are out by the curfew cut-off.
A police vehicle will be at Shrewsbury Fire Station on November 5, 6 and 7 to brief a crew on which fires are causing problems and need to be extinguished. Officers will then escort crews to prevent any breach of the peace.
Constable Gardner said: “We do not want to be party-poopers for these kind of events. It is purely to clamp down on the anti-social elements which impact on residents.”
By Andrew Morris
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I hope the police will wait at the scene to protect the firefighters from attack, which will proberly happen if they extinguish the bonfires.
I speak from experience of a 26 year seving station commander, they will need it
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Stuff the fires, what are they going to do about all the fireworks that are let off well into the night?
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on THE 567 NOVEMEBER? SO EVERY ONE CAN HAVE ONE ON THE 4TH-8TH THEN??? WHAT A STUPID ILL THOUGHT OUT RULE.
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Yeh.. then who will dispose of the unburn wood left over as the council cant even be bothered to empty a bin thats got 1 too many bin bags in it
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I must admit that when I first read this story I had to check the calendar – surely I hadn’t just woken up after a long nap to find that it was suddenly April 1st?
Anti-social behaviour? Housing estates? Attacks on fire crews? I was expecting to read that all roads from Telford are to be sealed off to prevent a repeat of this sort of behaviour, then a voice in my head whispered “Meole Brace, Castlefields, Sundorne, Monkmoor, brothels, police shooting” – and I had a good laugh at all the stuck-up Shrewsbury residents I know who are always sneering at Telford…..
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I never really need to contact the police, yet on the 3 or 4 occasions that I have needed them over the years, it takes them forever to arrive. Yet, they can afford to spare officers to attend the fire station for 3 days and escort fire crews, knowing full well that this is the most idiotic idea they’ve ever come up with, and it’s guaranteed that the crews are going to be abused. Yet another waste of the council tax payers’ money and just when you think Shrewsbury can’t get any more boring ……
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SO if you are not a Severnside resident it is likely that you are not anti-social is this what is ment by you only sending letters to severnside residents?
or will (ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE OF SHREWSBURY BE SENT A LETTER)The minority is to spoil everything for the majorty again
I think this is what they call being discrimanated against but not quite sure perhaps PC Gardener can help
me on this one as I was brought up not draged up in one of Shropshiers council houses now Severnside housing
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it’s always the council estates that cause problems its a known fact because of the kids, which ultimately is the responsibility of their parents….
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The article states:
“We feel that 10pm is an appropriate cut-off point as the vast majority of organised bonfires are finished by then,” he said.
“We are anxious to stop the unauthorised fires which are lit as a result of anti-social behaviour. So any fires burning beyond 10pm face being extinguished by the fire service.”
So..
WHAT IS the point here?
Are we talking about “unathorised fires”, or fires that go on “too late”?
The whole statement above is contradictory.
What is the Definition of “an unauthorised fire” ?
And WHO has decided that 10′clock should be the cut off time ?
This smacks to me as yet another example of the “nanny state” society this country has beocme.
The fire brigade should stick to what they normally do:
That is Put fires out as determined by the “established” criteria that they normally work to at all other times, (ie genuine emergencies etc) – and NOT be dragged into becoming yet another dead hand of the state hell bent on controlling yet another aspect of our lives.
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Is my fire a British Summer Time fire, (AKA Barbeque) or is it a Greenwich “mean time” fire – “mean” as in not letting me have my fire when I want it.
Could get really fired up about this – What would Guy Fawks make of it?
Never mind – at least the Pubs don;t have to shut at 10.30 (“last orders – drink up lads and put your fires out !!) like they used to !
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Oh behave yourself gregg, by your way of thinking we must have a lot of trouble on the private estates these days as the vast majority on them are ex council house people who had the right to buy or the children of ex council house people that is fact also. As far as i can see it covers all estates in shrewsbury it more than likely does not affect many private estates as they are in smoke free zones so they are stopped from even having a fire. But us country folk can do as we like lol
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“Yet, they can afford to spare officers to attend the fire station for 3 days and escort fire crews, knowing full well that this is the most idiotic idea they’ve ever come up with, and it’s guaranteed that the crews are going to be abused”
What an absolutely shocking comment Tracey. You said yourself the crews will be abused so I see no problem with police assisting them! How would you like it if you were trying to do your job when some aggresive person came forward and starting shooting fireworks at you?
Rob, Telford. You are such a bitter person about Shrewsbury. I realise how bad Telford is and as soon as something about Shrewsbury pops up your soon very vocal! Telford is one of the worst places to live (I lived there for a year) and hear nothing but bodys being found, women raped, people assaulted, drug dealers etc.
In all I think this is a good move by the services. People have plenty of time to have their bonfire, I do think though that Fireworks should be banned after 10pm too
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Bruceyboyo said:
“Rob, Telford. You are such a bitter person about Shrewsbury. I realise how bad Telford is and as soon as something about Shrewsbury pops up your soon very vocal! Telford is one of the worst places to live (I lived there for a year) and hear nothing but bodys being found, women raped, people assaulted, drug dealers etc.”
I hoped that my comment would have been taken as being at least partly tongue in cheek, but there is a certain element on here who relentlessly criticise Telford while ignoring the problems in their own communities. “Bitter about Shrewsbury” – why should I be, I don’t live there? You on the other hand describe Telford as “one of the worst places to live” (after living there for a year) and you’re NOT bitter?
As for “bodys being found, women raped, people assaulted, drug dealers etc” are you telling me that these things don’t happen in Shrewsbury? If so you obviously don’t read the Star very often….
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Bruceboyo – yes the crews will be abused – but it is the police who are CHOOSING to put them in that position by putting in place such absurd ideas. No, I wouldn’t like to be in that situation, but I would not put myself in that position in the first place, whereas they purposely are. I’m glad you see no no problem with the police assisting them – perhaps on one of those nights you, or somebody close to you, may just need the police force, and when nobody is available to attend, we’ll see how much you support it then.
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Oh I wish I lived in wonderful Shrewsbury….!!
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I have held back many times regarding grammar and spelling, because I appreciate the difficulties of Dyslexia etc. but I have noticed the standards of bickering individuals getting worse.
If you have got a valid comment to make, at least spell correctly otherwise some of us just can’t take you seriously, regardless of where you live.
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