Youngsters caught with fireworks sent to fire service
Tuesday, 11th May 2010.
Youngsters caught with fireworks by police in Haverhill have been dealt with under the new community resolution system.
After a series of incidents in which damage was caused to wheelie bins and a phone box, and police received some 50 complaints from the public about fireworks and bird scarers being set off, the youngsters will be required to attend an informations session from the fire service.
PC Will Wright caught two groups, one of two and the other of three youngsters, on the Recreation Ground on May 1, shortly after all the incidents and complaints.
He stopped and searched them as a result of information received and recoverted a quantity of fireworks.
He then visited their parents and spoke to them, arranging for all five to attend the fire station for a talk about the dangers of use and possession of fireworks.
"It is being dealt with under community resolution," he said. "This is an alternative to criminalisation, but they can still be subject to prosecution if they don't fulfil the requirements of the police officer."
It was illegal for them to have fireworks because they were under the age limit of 18.
Haverhill's new police chief, Insp Chris Galley, described this as the common sense approach and said it was about making things safer for the future.
News of the action taken against the youngsters soon spread around other youngsters, PC Wright said, and next day a quantity of fireworks were found in a bin on the Recreation Ground by a fairground worker, and seized by police.
Since then there had only been two complaints.
Investigations are still going on about where the fireworks came from.
A couple of weeks ago a garage in Haverhill was broken into and fireworks and bird-scarers stolen, but police said they had so far been unable to link the incidents with the break-in.
After a series of incidents in which damage was caused to wheelie bins and a phone box, and police received some 50 complaints from the public about fireworks and bird scarers being set off, the youngsters will be required to attend an informations session from the fire service.
PC Will Wright caught two groups, one of two and the other of three youngsters, on the Recreation Ground on May 1, shortly after all the incidents and complaints.
He stopped and searched them as a result of information received and recoverted a quantity of fireworks.
He then visited their parents and spoke to them, arranging for all five to attend the fire station for a talk about the dangers of use and possession of fireworks.
"It is being dealt with under community resolution," he said. "This is an alternative to criminalisation, but they can still be subject to prosecution if they don't fulfil the requirements of the police officer."
It was illegal for them to have fireworks because they were under the age limit of 18.
Haverhill's new police chief, Insp Chris Galley, described this as the common sense approach and said it was about making things safer for the future.
News of the action taken against the youngsters soon spread around other youngsters, PC Wright said, and next day a quantity of fireworks were found in a bin on the Recreation Ground by a fairground worker, and seized by police.
Since then there had only been two complaints.
Investigations are still going on about where the fireworks came from.
A couple of weeks ago a garage in Haverhill was broken into and fireworks and bird-scarers stolen, but police said they had so far been unable to link the incidents with the break-in.
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