ANIMAL welfare charity The RSPCA has launched a campaign to restrict the private use of fireworks to the four days before Bonfire Night.
The move comes as Lancashire police revealed its own Operation Bright Sparx on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before November 5's to reduce the nuisance caused to neighbourhoods by their anti-social use.
In 2011 the RSPCA received 255 calls regarding fireworks, which rose to a peak of 533 in 2017. In the last five years it received 2,300 calls about fireworks.
The charity's campaign manager Eloise Shavelar said: “Clearly there is widespread public concern about this issue. We want to see the UK Government restricting the use of fireworks to traditional days of the year like bonfire night."
The move follows Lancashire's deputy chief fire officer Justin Johnston calling on Tuesday for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public.
Hyndburn's PC Dave Render said: "Operation Bright Sparx will see officers on the ground working pro-actively to seek out those involved in firework nuisance."
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