24 February 2009

Nearly 500 children from 37 schools took part in the annual firework safety competition organised by the Community Safety Partnerships in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes – the councils, police, fire and health services working together.

The winners have now all received their prizes at presentation ceremonies at
Amersham, Aylesbury, Broughton and High Wycombe Fire Stations.

Annie Needham, who attends Holtspur School, Beaconsfield, won a bicycle donated by Halfords, and five other winners received £25 Argos gift vouchers. They are:

• Aisha Azhari, Simpson Combined School, Milton Keynes
  
  
• Harry Bacon, St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Amersham
  
  
• Richard Faerber, Holtspur School, Beaconsfield
  
  
• James Starkey, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School, High Wycombe
  
  
• Renay Vaughan, Grendon Underwood Combined School

The answers were:

• You have to be 18 years old to buy fireworks
  
  
• The maximum penalty for throwing a firework in the street is a £5,000 fine
  
  
• If you use a firework to set fire to something else, this is arson
  
  
• All animals are frightened by fireworks
  
  
• You must not let off fireworks after midnight on 5 November
  
  
• You must not let off fireworks after 1am following New Year's Eve celebrations
  
  
• If you are using fireworks in your garden, you should stand a minimum of five metres from a firework once it has been lit.