It is appalling that, despite all the publicity given to the problems caused by fireworks and the ban imposed on the sale to the public of the most powerful, noisy and dangerous of these explosive devices, some Bradford shopkeepers are continuing to flout the law and sell them. The police and Trading Standards officers are right to be focusing on finding out just who they are and taking action against them.

A shopkeeper in Wharncliffe Road who was found to have more than 500 illegal fireworks on his premises got away with a warning, but others should not be so lucky. They should remember that the law provides for a £5,000 fine and/or six months in prison.

Apart from the danger aspect, noisy fireworks cause a great deal of distress to people and animals. It would be bad enough if they were confined to the few days immediately around November 5, but nowadays they can be heard virtually all the year round.

As far as many people are concerned, the new law banning certain types of fireworks which was introduced last year, while welcome as far as it went, did not go far enough. No-one wants to be a killjoy, but the freedom for individuals to cause even modest explosions is too open to abuse.

There needs to be a total ban on sales of fireworks to the general public, small as well as large. They should be used only at properly-marshalled events and be handled by responsible adults. And they should be used, apart from on November 5, on only a strictly limited number of special occasions.