For weeks each autumn, smoke lingers in the air under the seemingly endless sound of fireworks, dividing people between joy and angst.
Usually, fireworks can only be sold by licensed shops, and can only be set off between 7am and 11pm. But this cutoff extends to midnight on Bonfire Night, and for almost a month from October 15 and November 10, fireworks can be sold by registered sellers, leading to rattle of explosions day and night building up to a free-for-all of colour and noise erupting in the skies on November 5.
With Liverpool Council and other local authorities axing their public fireworks displays over money worries, more people may be taking to the gardens, streets and open spaces to put on their own entertainment. Stood behind the counter of Aigburth Fireworks just south of Sefton Park, 24-year-old Mo Salim, from Toxteth, said he loves "the colours, the bangs, the noise, the excitement" of fireworks, telling the ECHO: "It's just the full package."
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His older brother Naz, 26, leant against the doorway to the back of their shop as he said: "It's a very wholesome experience. It attracts everyone, the whole general public, and I feel like especially Liverpool, for some reason, has a specific attachment to this sort of thing."
Mo, who studied mechanical engineering at Hope University, said: "We used to live here when we were younger and just across the road is Sefton Park. Since we were kids, every year our dad would take us to Sefton Park, we'd watch the biggest displays, and we fell in love with it all. Then our dad started selling them when this was a newsagent.
"He's retired now, we're both in uni studying, so we thought, while we're off we could do something with our empty shop, and we started to do fireworks."
Their shop is full of fireworks with names like Warhawk, Radiation Storm, and Destroyer, along with Big Mix Rockets Naz said are used in official fireworks displays. The pair said they've sold out every year since launching their seasonal fireworks shop seven years ago, after struggling to find fireworks up to their standard in supermarkets like Tesco and Aldi.
Mo said: "They were alright, but growing up and experiencing playing with more fireworks, trying bigger brands, better brands, they're worlds apart, I can promise you. We've got sparklers that can make a bigger bang than what the supermarkets supply you with."
He added: said: "Liverpool are major for it, they love it. I think everyone loves fireworks here. With fireworks, they're more of a special occasion thing - alongside happiness, you get fireworks. You get weddings, birthday parties, so I think it just releases some dopamine."
Along with their association with celebrations, the noise and explosions filling the air around Halloween and Bonfire Night can scare animals, trigger post-traumatic stress disorder in people, and damage health and property. Incidents involving antisocial behaviour and criminal damage during this Halloween period compared with last year, according to Merseyside Police.
A 14-year-old boy was arrested after a dad "dived for cover" when a firework was posted through the letterbox of his home in Runcorn on October 25. Days later, a family in Moreton lost their home to fire when a stray firework flew through the window of their flat on October 30.
For their part, Naz, a trained pilot, said their "safety standard is quite high when it comes to fireworks because it's not the safest item to keep in the shop". Mo told the ECHO: "All our fireworks are from top quality brands, so we don't supply anything that could be dangerous.
"They all go through thorough checks in the factory after they've been shipped, before they come through the door, and once they're in the shop. They've all been checked, thorough checks, everything's safe, sound, amazing, and there are no negatives whatsoever, you've got nothing to worry about, and we even cater for the people who want quieter fireworks. We've got cases of silent fireworks that just give out colours."
Naz said: "We are actually licensed. We have to go through the procedure of getting a licence and getting regulated by the council. We have to go through the same checks as any other supermarket or any other wholesaler in the country, so we're not exempt from certain rules because we're a small business. In fact, we're probably looked at even deeper."
Despite this, the period of bright and noisy celebration each autumn sparks intense debate about the legality of fireworks. Hundreds of ECHO readers calling for them to be banned amid concerns about the distress they cause the people and animals, and the dangerous acts people can carry out with them once the product leaves shops.
The ECHO's political editor, Liam Thorp, called for tighter rules around the sale and use of fireworks. He described his Romanian rescue dog Billy "vibrating with stress as a cacophony of bangs and booms explode outside our home" in what seems a longer period each year.
Liam wrote: "There are few things more heartbreakingly frustrating than seeing a wonderful animal that I love in a state of distress and knowing there is only so much I can do to help relieve his pain."
Emergency services have been warning the public to be careful with fireworks and advised them how to stay safe. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service warned people not to throw and "mess around with fireworks" or "make fireworks the last thing you see, and urged them to keep targets for arson like wheelie bins "safe and secure" away from windows, doors and fences.
It tweeted: "Fireworks aren't toys. They're explosives and should be treated with respect. Misusing them can lead to serious and permanent injury like losing fingers, burns and even sight loss."
Merseyside Police said it's increased patrols and implemented an "extensive policing plan" in order to "keep people and communities safe and respond to any incidents". Chief inspector Duncan Swan, the commander of it policing operation, said: "We know the impact that any antisocial behaviour and criminal damage causes to those targeted, and we'll keep responding swiftly to such reports.
"While we're pleased that the vast majority of people across Merseyside enjoyed the Halloween festivities in a safe and fun way, numbers of incidents did increase from last year – although these are relatively small numbers compared to 2020.
"The disruption that can be caused to communities, businesses and the emergency services can be serious, so help us respond in the right areas by sharing your concerns and reporting incidents to us, via 999 if a crime is in progress or through our social media channels if it isn’t.
"We'll be keeping extra high-visibility patrols across Merseyside up to and including Bonfire Night. I'd continue to ask parents and guardians to make sure you know where your children are, who they’re with, and what they are doing. There are lots of events across Merseyside for Bonfire Night, that families and friends can enjoy safely, and if you are concerned about anti-social behaviour, criminal damage or criminality in your area, please get in touch so we can keep taking action."
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