Posted on Thursday 24th October 2019
Fireworks found stored in the flat
People from across Staffordshire are being reminded not to store large amounts of fireworks at home.
The warning comes from Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team following the discovery on Friday night (18 October) of a large quantity of fireworks being stored in a flat.
Trading standards officers, along with Staffordshire Police, carried out the operation after receiving a tip off that fireworks were being sold via Facebook from the property.
On entering the home, officers found large quantities of fireworks being stored dangerously, posing a serious risk to the occupier and their family as well as the rest of the residents in the multi-story block.
The fireworks were removed and taken to a specialist explosives storage facility for disposal.
Gill Heath, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council said:
“Fireworks can be incredibly dangerous, and in order to store and sell them legally people must have a licence from their local Trading Standards service. This demonstrates they understand the safety requirements when dealing with such items.
“Storing large quantities of fireworks at home can put people’s lives at risk. Furthermore, buying fireworks from non-registered traders or through social network websites can also be very risky as you have no idea what you’re getting and can’t guarantee the quality and safety of the products.
“In some cases you could unwittingly be buying Display fireworks which have a high quantity of explosives. These can be particularly dangerous and should never be sold to anyone who hasn’t been trained to let them off safely.”
Anyone who has any concerns about fireworks being sold or stored dangerously should contact the Trading Standards Confidential helpline on 01785 330356.