South Lanarkshire Council is reminding local retailers the rules around firework sales as Bonfire Night approaches.
The council’s Trading Standards team is visiting retailers who are registered to sell fireworks to make sure that the timescales, storage criteria and selling restrictions are followed, through a mixture of education, engagement and if necessary, enforcement.
Councillor Robert Brown, chairman of the community and enterprise resources committee, said: “In most cases, retailers take a responsible stance on storing and selling fireworks and we very much welcome that.
"However, at this time of year, in particular, Trading Standards have a vital role in ensuring that the legislation on how to store fireworks, the timescales in which they can be sold, and who they can be sold to is fully complied with.
“The potential for anti-social behaviour, and indeed, serious injury, is huge when dangerous explosives fall into the wrong hands.
"Our approach is about putting safety first while allowing all our residents to enjoy this time of the year without accident or incident, whether they choose to take part or not.”
Less than 40 retailers are now registered to sell fireworks in South Lanarkshire, and this is 30 percent less than it was three years ago,
There is a range of regulations around the sale and use of fireworks and there are only four times each year that registered traders can legally sell the - three weeks before and five days after November 4, New Year (from December 26 to 31), Chinese New Year (four days before including the day itself) and Diwali.
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