UK households face £5,000 fines for letting fireworks off 'at wrong time'

UK households face £5,000 fines for letting fireworks off at the wrong time over Bonfire Night weekend. You can be fined £5,000 for using fireworks at the wrong time on Bonfire Night, which November 5 every year, with colourful displays of fireworks set to take place across the UK.

UK households risk an “unlimited” fine and six months in prison, as well as an on-the-spot penalty of £90, if they use fireworks illegally. It’s against the law for anyone to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am in England and Wales, apart from on certain occasions.

The exception is on Bonfire Night (November 5) when the cut off is midnight, or on New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when you have until 1am. This is according to the Fireworks Regulations 2004 which sets rules on when fireworks can be set off.

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On the Gov.uk website, it states: “You can be fined an unlimited amount and imprisoned for up to six months for selling or using fireworks illegally. You could also get an on-the-spot fine of £90.” Gov.uk also advises you to check with your council to find out about any local rules for setting off fireworks.

Several councils including Brent and Sheffield say local residents can be fined as much as £5,000. Fireworks are assigned different categories depending on their intended purpose, ranging from category F1 to F4. F1 is the category used for indoor fireworks including sparklers and party poppers.

These are the only fireworks where it is legal to possess them in a public place. Fireworks in the F2 and F3 categories are intended for garden and display use respectively. F4 fireworks are professional fireworks that can only be used by specialist companies.

Causing unnecessary stress to animals, even through fireworks, is technically a crime, too. People found to have caused "unnecessary suffering to an animal" falls under the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 and could see those guilty hit with an enormous and unlimited fine.