ASB on BONFIRE NIGHT: Police launch Operation Bright Sparx in Burnley and Pendle following last year's sickening hoax calls and attacks on emergency services

Police are helping to fight anti-social behaviour in the run up to Bonfire Night after emergency services were attacked with fireworks in Burnley last year.
By Laura Longworth
Published 3rd Nov 2022, 15:25 BST
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Officers have so far taken 30 rockets off the streets as part of Operation Bright Sparx.

The operation was successfully launched in Pendle last year, with no major incidents occurring. It has now been rolled out in Burnley after thugs made sickening hoax calls last year and threw fireworks at the public, police officers, paramedics and firefighters.

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Firefighters were attacked with fireworks in Burnley on Bonfire Night last year.Firefighters were attacked with fireworks in Burnley on Bonfire Night last year.
Firefighters were attacked with fireworks in Burnley on Bonfire Night last year.

The campaign is being supported by multiple agencies to help raise awareness about the dangers of misusing fireworks. Authorities have also been clearing any burnable rubbish from the streets.

Sergeant John Sutcliffe, of the Pendle Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “We dealt with some youths who were throwing fireworks last week in two different incidents and we have so far recovered 30 rockets.”

He added: "We had a lot of nuisance in Pendle in 2020. It got out of hand.

"Last year, there was a problem in Burnley but not in Pendle because we had the operation running.”