Firework thugs wreak havoc on Bonfire Night: Terrifying moment yobs fire rockets at police in Lancashire, target each other with missiles in Glasgow and crowds run for cover at out-of-control display in Liverpool
This is the terrifying moment yobs fire rockets at police in Lancashire and target each other with missiles in Glasgow, while crowds run for cover as they are showered by missiles at an out-of-control display in Liverpool.
Footage taken in Brierfield last night shows fireworks hurtling towards an officer, who appears to be inside a police vehicle, and exploding just feet from where they are located.
Another video filmed by a concerned local captures captures youths firing explosives on a residential street in Shawlands, Scotland, with several houses being hit in the chaos.
Hundreds were spotted gathering as fireworks were set off at Everton Park in Merseyside, with the car park reportedly gridlocked.
Police in north London are also hunting for a group of thugs who fired pyrotechnics at the RSPCA Harmsworth Animal Hospital in Finsbury Park.
Fireworks were even let off near combustible cladding outside a block of flats in Manchester, leaving residents 'on a knife edge'.
Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police say seven people have been issued with Fixed Penalty Notices for breaching Covid-19 restrictions by meeting in a park to let off fireworks in the early hours of Thursday.
It comes as firefighters across the UK were attacked while responding to incidents last night, with a fire chief branding the assaults 'abhorrent'.
Footage taken in Brierfield, Lancashire, last night shows fireworks hurtling towards an officer, who appears to be inside a police vehicle, and exploding just feet from where they are located
Crowds of people ran for cover as they were showered by falling fireworks during an illegal display which hundreds attended at Everton Park in Liverpool, Merseyside
Organised displays were cancelled this year to stop crowds gathering together due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Fire Chiefs Council said incidents were reported in Merseyside, Tyne and Wear, Scotland, Wales, Northumberland and Humberside.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested and detained in custody overnight following the incident in Lancashire, with a police spokesman saying: 'Dedicated officers are currently out and about dealing with reports of firework anti-social behaviour in order of keeping the community safe.
'Whilst officers were awaiting for the fire service to extinguish a fire on Tunstill Square a group of individuals thought it would be appropriate to target the police with rockets.
'This will not be tolerated and officers will be conducting enquiries to locate whose responsible.
'One 17-year-old male has been detained and will be dealt with appropriately.'
In London, terrified animal carers had to barricade themselves inside as youths lined the entrance to a hospital with bins, meaning staff were trapped inside the building and cowering as they hid.
Dramatic footage taken by one staff member shows the street alight with fireworks as she said: 'It's like something out of a war zone.'
Many of the animals had to be moved elsewhere in the building due to the distress they were in and fear they could be hit by one of the fireworks.
During one of the clips filmed in Glasgow, a rocket can be seen aimed at one of the youths, which thankfully misses, but lands next to a white van.
Footage filmed by a concerned local shows youths firing explosives towards each other on a residential street in Shawlands, Glasgow, with several houses being hit in the chaos
An explosive detonating on a street in Glasgow and sending out a blast of heat and light in a deafening roar as it disperses the youths, who quickly regroup and continue to cause havoc
The explosive detonates, sending out a blast of heat and light in a deafening roar as it disperses the youths, who quickly regroup and continue to cause havoc.
The two videos were shared onto a local community page calling for more action from government 'at all levels' to tighten laws on the sale of fireworks.
In Liverpool, footage captures crowds cheering as the pyrotechnics burst loudly in the sky, but things quickly turn sour when some of the fireworks went off too close to the ground and sparks were thrown over cars and people standing on the grass.
A witness later said it was 'a miracle no one was hurt' during the incident and that the amount of cars caused a large traffic jam outside the park shortly before 9pm.
They said that people with fireworks began firing them at each other as people tried to make their way away from the park.
The witness added: 'There were hundreds there. The carpark was gridlocked and streets outside full of cars and the odd scrambler bike rider performing wheelies.'
Earlier in the evening, Merseyside Fire and Rescue tweeted to say they were aware of a number of illegal displays taking place across the city.
A firework explodes above a High Street being patrolled by police officers in Lewes, East Sussex, which would normally be packed with bonfire societies parading through the town
Fireworks are seen above a house on the first day of a newly imposed lockdown due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Blackpool last night
People are seen setting off fireworks to celebrate Guy Fawkes night at Bracelet Bay car park in the Mumbles district of Swansea last night underneath a Waning Gibbous moon
They said: 'We're receiving reports about large nos. of people setting off fireworks in parks across Merseyside. Yes, it's Bonfire Night but this year is like no other.
'There are no organised displays this year for a reason. Please #StayHome & #StaySafe.'
Seven people - a group of men and woman aged from 19 to 22 - were each handed £200 fines for breaching the lockdown rules by meeting in a park in Bushey, Hertfordshire, to let off the explosives early on Thursday morning.
They were carrying around £500 worth of fireworks with them, which were confiscated by officers and will be destroyed.
Hertsmere Sergeant Matt Cann said: 'Not only is letting off fireworks in a public park in the early hours of the morning both anti-social and dangerous, this group of young people were also in breach of the lockdown rules.
'Their actions showed a complete disregard for the second lockdown and the tough measures that the majority of us are committed to living by to ensure that we drive down the infection rate to protect our NHS and save lives.'
Chief Superintendent Matt Nicholls added: 'Under the government rules, people have been told to stay at home and non-essential shops, pubs and gyms ordered to close. Households are banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens, unless in a support bubble.
'The rules are in place for everyone's safety and our officers will continue to engage with people proportionately, fairly with a common-sense approach to support the new regulations.
'Of course, not following the measures put in place to limit the spread of coronavirus is unacceptable and anyone who knowingly or deliberately break the rules, should expect to receive a fine.'
A group of residents in Manchester who formed an action group in response to fire concerns further condemned the 'unbelievable stupidity' of those responsible for setting off the explosives near combustible cladding.
A post from Britton House Cladding Action Group said: 'Fireworks set off on the road as traffic tries to pass next to our building with flammable cladding & insulation! Terrifying!'
Stephen Squires, 43, who lives in the building, added: 'For the last two or three nights all night long from 6pm until midnight they've just been letting huge fireworks off in the road.
'These are big fireworks that are flying off in all directions, and when it's literally so close to the building, which is 19 stories high, the fear is if something goes off in the wrong direction and sort of embeds itself in the cladding and it starts a fire and it starts to spread across the building.
A fireworks display on Wednesday night in Stutton near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, as revellers celebrated Bonfire Night a day early after lockdown cancelled the festivities
Fireworks are set off by members of the public on Camp Hill in Woolton, Liverpool, on Thursday night as people celebrate November 5 under lockdown this year
'Honestly, last night - not just me - lots of people in the building were on a knife edge every time you hear the bangs.'
It follows the NFCC saying 'mindless attacks' on Thursday included fireworks, stones and bricks being thrown at crews while they responded to callouts on what it described as the busiest night of the year for many services.
In Scotland, the fire service handled 1,193 calls between 3.30pm and midnight, with 13 reported attacks on crews.
The NFCC said it is likely crews will come under attack over the weekend.
Chris Lowther, chairman of NFCC's operations committee and chief fire officer for Tyne and Wear, said: 'Attacking firefighters is abhorrent, if one or two members of staff are injured on a shift this can result in fire appliances having to be taken off the road while other staff are called in.
'This leaves communities at risk if there is a major incident. I am disgusted to hear of firefighters being attacked when trying to protect the communities they serve; ultimately saving lives.
'We need to see custodial sentences handed out - it is clear we need a deterrent which makes people think twice.'
NFCC chairman Roy Wilsher said: 'While jail sentences have been increased from 12 to 24 months, we now need to see these imposed to send a clear message.
'Emergency services staff must be treated with the respect they deserve; blue light services are here to keep people safe.'
The NFCC said there were 897 attacks recorded in the past year, with firefighters in some areas unable to attend certain incidents unless they have a police escort.