Minsters to be asked 'think of the animals' as Atherstone and district caught up in national bid to rein in fireworks noise

Atherstone and district has found itself in the front seat of a civic drive to erase "fear and distress" by making back garden and organised firework activities much quieter affairs and more animal-friendly in future.

Tomorrow night in Atherstone, councillors are expected to light the blue touchpaper on a campaign piling pressure on Westminster to bring in new laws affecting private and public pyrotechnic displays nationwide.

North Warwickshire Borough Council will vote on a motion dubbed 'silence for the lambs' to call on the area's MPs to ask ministers in central government to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of sold fireworks to 90 decibels.

The debate centres on the fact that North Warwickshire, like every local authority in England and Wales, has no statutory power to place advertising conditions on firework displays as they are not licensable activities.

Because of the short shelf-life of fireworks, councils have to rely on the normal law of nuisance to restrict use. This can prove difficult to enforce as it is not always known who has set them off.

A report to Wednesday's full council says although traditionally Roman candles and Catherine wheels have brought "much enjoyment to some people, they can cause significant problems and fear for other people and animals".

It goes on: "The noise from fireworks can be a source of fear and distress for many animals and the debris from fireworks can pose a hazard to animals such as horses and livestock."

Current legislation allows the use of fireworks up to 1am on the night of New Year's Eve and it is the police who enforce outside this time, the report adds.

Along with the bid to introduce new legislation, the other proposals on the table call for the NWBC website to display current legislation and guidance regarding the use of fireworks and provide advice on mitigating the impact on neighbours and animals as well as considering the conditions under which the borough council allows use of its own land for firework displays.

Back in November, a petition was started which called on the Government began to ban the use and sale of fireworks.

The December General Election put paid to any progress after more than 300,000 people signed it.