Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘Bangers incident’ sparks action call
A Dundee chip shop owner is demanding action after claiming children as young eight have been setting off fireworks.
Graeme Squire, 50, who runs Tony’s fish and chip shop in Mid Craigie, said he saw a group of youths letting off bangers before running away in the Linfield Street area on Friday afternoon.
He now wants to find out how youngsters are getting their hands on the potentially dangerous devices.
Mr Squire said: “I just don’t understand how kids aged eight, nine and 10 are running about with fireworks. Where do they get them from? It’s pretty much two weeks before Bonfire Night and it’s started already.
“I can see the appeal of sparklers and things, but bangers just cause misery, scaring pets, being put through people’s letter boxes — they bring mayhem.
“I imagine most shops will have stringent measures in place for not selling fireworks to children, but perhaps there’s one or two being lackadaisical, or parents going in and buying them for their kids.”
The action call comes just days after a group of youths set off fireworks in a car park near Asda in Milton of Craigie.
One resident said the youngsters were lighting them and throwing them into people’s gardens.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed officers had received reports of fireworks being set off, but no one was caught.
She said: “Officers attended at a car park at Milton of Craigie in Dundee at 8.30pm on Saturday after reports of youths setting off fireworks. There was no trace of youths on police arrival.”
The spokeswoman also confirmed there was another alleged fireworks incident on Ambleside Avenue, Kirkton, at 7.30pm on Saturday. Again, there were no youths on police arrival.
Dave Stapley, Police Scotland’s local senior officer for Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus, said his colleagues were visiting schools to combat any potential trouble with fireworks.
Superintendent Roddy Irvine added: “We appeal to retailers and parents to be aware of the law to assist us in keeping fireworks out of the hands of young people.”
wlyon@eveningtelegraph.co.uk