A BOLTON councillor has demanded to know whether fireworks were sold in the run up to New Year celebrations last week.

Cllr John Walsh said fireworks had been set off around the town at midnight on Thursday night to let in 1999, the first time it had ever been done in such large numbers.

Cllr Walsh said: "I've never known anything like it in my life. They were being let off everywhere."

His comments came at a meeting of the environment and consumer sub-committee, which was due to consider a proposal to ban fireworks.

But the sub-committee decided to ask all other councillors for their opinion before it went back for discussion.

The call for a ban on sales to the public comes after nine people were injured in Bolton during the Bonfire Night period in 1998, including five children.

Other action which could be approved is to force firework organisers to register events, setting up a proof of age scheme to stop fireworks being sold to under 18s and to call on the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to look into the all-year-round availability of fireworks.

The council has already tried to introduce bye-laws to restrict the sale of fireworks to a limited period but found it did not have the power. Also, four shopkeepers are to be prosecuted after fireworks were sold to a 15-year-old child volunteer sent to make test-purchases at 25 Bolton shops during the Guy Fawkes Night period.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.