WITH the dawn this morning of November and the imminent arrival of Guy Fawkes night Thurrock Council has offered a reminder of rules regarding fireworks.

The council says:

If you want to celebrate with fireworks in your own garden or on other private land, there's nothing to stop you and no reason why you can't enjoy a great evening.

Remember that both you and your guests will need to take care. The tips below will help you think about and prepare for a fun and safe celebration at home.

You must:

store fireworks safely in a closed box, somewhere cool and dry, out of reach of children and animals, until the time they are needed - don't keep the box under the stairs or in a passageway

make sure you have a large enough space to let off fireworks off safely - each firework should have a minimum safety distance marked on it

be considerate to your neighbours: warn them beforehand so they can take in their washing, close windows, keep their pets indoors and, if necessary, take other precautions - why not invite them?

only buy fireworks from reputable dealers - the fireworks should have the product safety marking BS7114 or equivalent and carry a CE mark

Most shops are only given permission to sell fireworks on or between these dates:

15 October to 10 November

26 to 31 December

3 days before Diwali and Chinese New Year

You must go to specially licensed shops to buy fireworks at other times.

Fireworks cannot be let off between 11pm and 7am except on:

Bonfire Night – 5 November – up to midnight

New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year up to 1am

If you are hosting a public display of fireworks, you can promote it free via our NUBIT service via this link.