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Bonfire banned in Fawkes' home town

A bonfire celebration in York, the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, has been banned on health and safety grounds. Thousands were due to attend the spectacle on the 402nd anniversary of Fawkes’ failed plot to blow up parliament.

But York City Football Club was told their ground was too small to ensure spectator safety, a decision which left the head of the cathedral city’s tourist board “lost for words.”

York Council’s head of licensing, Dick Haswell, declined to be interviewed by Reuters. In an emailed statement he defended the decision, saying: “Unfortunately the ground was not large enough to provide the necessary distance between the area where fireworks could fall and spectators.”

The chief executive of York Tourism Board, Gillian Crudass, said: “We are very much disappointed because it is a British tradition. It attracts a lot of interest not just from local people, but also from visitors from all around the country who come for a short break – as well as international interest.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .