LIKE many others, I have heard the constant bangs of fireworks over several weeks. One night, we were kept awake past 4am with fireworks sounding more like mortar fire.

Surely in the year 2002 it is time to put a stop to the sale of fireworks to the public. Only last week, the Bury Times showed the damage done to a telephone box by one of these fireworks, which illustrated just how powerful they are.

What I find hard to understand is that since the awful events of September 11 we are all taking a stand against terrorists, yet in Britain we still celebrate November 5. And with a firefighters' strike possible, it is sheer madness.

Will Bury Council please take note that most people in this area do not want fireworks and feel the town would be a whole lot safer if their sale was restricted to licensed displays.

METRO RESIDENT