Thanks for making Bonfire night safe and enjoyable, says Deputy Commissioner

Bonfire at Cherwell Avenue, Heywood

Greater Manchester’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner has thanked the public for making this Bonfire Night a safe one.

Figures released by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service show they were called out 306 times last night, compared with 649 calls last year, with fire fighters mainly called to small rubbish fires. This is a 52% drop and makes it the quietest 5 November in years.

The fire service and Greater Manchester Police have been working closely with local councils over the past few years to encourage communities to have a happy and safe Halloween and Bonfire Night as part of the Treacle campaign. The campaign highlights the dangers and consequences of antisocial behaviour, criminal damage and the misuse of fireworks. Other partners involved include Trading Standards, Transport for Greater Manchester and the Health and Safety Executive.

Although the reduction in 999 calls shows the campaign is having an impact, agencies are not complacent and will continue to work together with communities to make sure the Bonfire season is safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Jim Battle said: “We’re not complacent but we’ve seen a significant reduction in call outs for both the police and fire service across Greater Manchester.

“I’d like to thank the public for helping ensure we had a great Bonfire Night. This is something I have campaigned for over the years and it is great to see that the work by local authorities, police, fire, other agencies and – most importantly of all - communities themselves is paying off. More and more people go to organised displays, which are always more spectacular anyway. It’s safer, much more fun and better for both people and – of course – pets who can find this time of year very distressing.

“While it’s still sadly the case that some people use fireworks to cause trouble – and there were some shocking incidents overnight of fireworks actually being thrown at fire fighters – thankfully, this is becoming rarer and rarer as communities stand together to say it’s unacceptable.”