Warwick District Retailers Refuse Sale Of Fireworks To Child
No fireworks were sold to children by retailers located in Warwick, Leamington Spa or Kenilworth, in an undercover operation organised by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards.
On Wednesday 25 October, a 16 year old child volunteer visited four retail premises in Warwick, four in Stratford upon Avon and two in Kenilworth and attempted to buy fireworks from each one. None of the retailers were prepared to sell.
Mark Ryder, Head of Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service said:
“We are delighted that the retailers we visited in the Warwick District are taking their responsibilities seriously and refusing to sell fireworks to children.
Fireworks are explosives and are consequently very dangerous if misused. Warwickshire Trading Standards is committed to preventing the sale of fireworks to minors and reducing firework related injuries and anti-social behaviour associated with their misuse.”
In total 25 fireworks retailers were visited across the County and two sales were made (in Bedworth and Stratford upon Avon).
The retailers were chosen at random and a similar proportion of large, medium sized and small retailers were visited including supermarkets, convenience stores and cornershops or newsagents.
All retailers involved have or will be advised either by letter or verbally of the undercover operation and the exercise followed LACORS ‘Test Purchasing Code of Best Practice’.
The age at which a person can legally buy fireworks is 18.
Investigations are now underway in to the circumstances surrounding the sale of fireworks to a minor at the Bedworth and Stratford upon Avon stores.
The penalty for selling fireworks to a person under the age of 18 is a fine of up to £5000 and/or 6 months imprisonment upon conviction in a Magistrates Court.
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service will continue to take appropriate enforcement action to ensure that fireworks are not sold to children.