Swinney urges Scots to obey law on Bonfire Night amid new firework bans

The First Minister has urged Scots to obey the law on Bonfire Night after firework bans came into place in parts of the country.

John Swinney said he was “regularly monitoring the data” on incidents in the run-up to November 5 following disorder in recent years.

Firework control zones (FCZ) have been issued in Glasgow for the first time.

Within the three zones – Pollokshields, Govanhill and Broomhouse – it is a criminal offence for a member of the public to set off a firework until November 10.

This includes private spaces such as back gardens and in public areas, although sparklers are allowed.

Police Scotland will enforce the restrictions and anyone found breaching them can face up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000.

FCZs also came into force in Edinburgh in nine areas of the city on October 31 and they will be in place until November 9.

They cover Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield and Sighthill.

Ahead of Bonfire Night on Wednesday, the First Minister urged people to follow the rules.

He told the PA news agency: “We’ve got steps in place that are designed to control the effects of fireworks.

“There are firework control zones that have been put in place in number parts of the of the country and I’m regularly monitoring the data that is coming out about instances that are taking place over the course of the last week and over the course of the next few days.

“Police Scotland will be actively involved in making sure the public are safe and that people are following the law and the regulatory environment that’s in place in relation to fireworks.”

Last week, Mr Swinney confirmed the fireworks licensing scheme, one of the key provisions of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, would be paused due to cost concerns. The scheme would have required people to obtain a permit in order to buy pyrotechnics in Scotland.

Criticising the SNP leader, independent MSP Ash Regan warned that communities are dealing with an “annual Bonfire Night war zone”.

Meanwhile, Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay described the legislation as a “basket case” and “half baked”.

Mr Swinney defended the shelving of the licencing scheme, and said most of the measures in the Act had been implemented.

He said: “Most of the legislation that has been passed by Parliament has been put in place.

“There are some aspects in relation to licensing that on cost grounds the Government is has paused but the overwhelming majority are in place, including the legislation around Firework Control Zones, which provides protection for the public.

“But fundamentally, there is a law in place that people should observe, and that’s the obligation on members of the public to do so.”

Last week, a tonne of fireworks worth around £42,000 that police believe was on its way to Edinburgh was seized by officers this week.

Police Scotland said more than 60 people were reported for involvement in fireworks offences last year, and this year officers including those in the Tayside and Edinburgh areas will be equipped with body-worn video cameras.

The force said it is bringing more resources than ever before to tackle firework-related crimes as Wednesday approaches.

The force’s effort to curb such incidents, dubbed Operation Moonbeam 2025, will see specialist public order officers join local policing divisions across Scotland.

However, there was still a significant level of violence directed towards officers, and police in turn are bringing in specialist support, while officers in Edinburgh will be equipped with body worn video as the national roll-out continues.