with KEITH FORT

WHAT on earth are we doing, in this day and age, selling fireworks -- from corner shops -- large enough and powerful enough to blow off a young man's hand?

This on top of fatalities last year as a result of "fireworks," stolen then sold off, powerful enough to kill. In each case the young men involved may have been stupid, irresponsible, dangerous even, but they paid with their lives for buying and setting off what was described as a firework but what was really a lethal explosive device.

Hasn't a once-harmless commemoration of a unique event in our history now got completely out of hand? It's an annual excuse for kids already steeped in anti-social behaviour to find new excesses of torment for both elderly neighbours and animals. It's too easy for people of my age to appear as kill-joys. Yes, we got up to pranks, threw Little Demons about and did decidedly unwise things with fireworks. And in older and wiser age, fearing for the safety of our own children and grandchildren, we were secretly glad to see "bangers" outlawed.

But I can never remember any of my generation tying a firework to the back of a helpless kitten and burning it half to death. This has already happened twice this year in the North.

In my youth I remember the desire to find the fireworks that could produce the biggest and loudest bang. I suppose that is natural in the young. Now that these smaller explosive fireworks are outlawed what have we replaced them with? I don't know about you but several explosions this year were loud and powerful enough to vibrate my house. Many people have already told me that they welcome the government plan to outlaw air bombs.

Initially, the ban is supposed to be a voluntary operation by the fireworks industry itself, leading to enforcement by government legislation eventually.

But I think many would argue that November 5 has become a bigger problem than simply banning categories of fireworks. One of the main ones is that it is no longer an historical remembrance celebrated on or around that date alone.

Fireworks have been exploding in many areas for at least a month before November 5. Quite often after midnight. So these are not children but older teenagers getting their hands on explosive devices to cause mischief, shock and distress just for a laugh.

If a referendum was carried out I bet a majority of people would like to see:

1. An end to the general sale of all explosive type fireworks.

2. Restriction of the sale of the larger, more dangerous, fireworks to the organisers of properly supervised public events which can be impressive and entertaining.

3. A properly enforced restriction on the sale of all fireworks until a few days before the event.

4. A clamp-down on the illegal importation of foreign, unregulated and unpredictable fireworks.

Perhaps then we can all enjoy a sane commemoration of the fifth of November.