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A fresh petition has been started calling on the government to ban the sale of fireworks for public use.
The petition, which was launched on 6 October, has already attracted more than 27,500 signatures.
It also calls on the government to collect statistics on firework usage and incidents.
Julie Doorne, who started the petition, told H&H: “They have given us a response on the petition — all they have done is quoted the status quo, but we aren’t happy with the status quo. We want to move forwards.”
Julie started a previous petition in 2015, which called for the government to restrict the use of fireworks to reduce stress and fear in animals and pets.
It gained more than 100,000 signatures and was debated in parliament, but MPs decided that no change to the law was needed.
Julie added she thinks “attitudes are shifting” and encouraged horse owners to sign the petition, to report firework incidents and to write to their MPs and local councillors.
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
The British Horse Society has an incident report form on its website and Julie is also collecting data through an online form.
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A petition calling for the use of fireworks
More than 100,000 people have signed a government
A government response to the latest petition, from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, states: “The government believes the focus of enforcement should be on delivering necessary protections and on working with businesses, citizens and others to ensure safety.
“The government believes that the current regulations strike the right balance between the enjoyment of fireworks by the public and restricting the sale and use of fireworks for public safety reasons.”
The response concludes that the government has “no plans” to extend legislation over the sale, use and misuse of fireworks any further.
Click here to view the petition
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.