THE reappearance of signs along the A591 protesting against firework displays in the area have drawn threats of prosecution from the Lake District National Park Authority.

The signs, between Ambleside and Windermere, were originally put up by the members of the Windermere Campaign for Firework Controls earlier this year. The group has been campaigning for restrictions on the burgeoning number of firework displays, particularly at lakeside hotels, which they claim are ruining the tranquillity of the area and traumatising horses, livestock and wildlife.

With legislation on its way through the House of Commons to control firework sales, and, thanks to the agreement of three large Lakeside hotels to curtail firework displays, the signs were removed. But they appeared again over the Easter Bank Holiday and have remained since.

Trevor Hinxman, chairman of WCFC, said: "The reason those signs had reappeared is the fact that one of the people round there had a big firework display. Three hotels all agreed that they would not have anymore but, in this case," he said, "it was a private individual who had held the display. That has angered us very much."

He also said that, with too many displays still being held in the Lake District, the group felt that: "Easter was a good time to let new visitors know that we do not care for fireworks up here."

The signs were put up on land owned by fireworks campaigner Annette Hedley. Now officers at the LDNPA are asking authority members for permission to prosecute her for putting up "unauthorised adverts".

Mrs Hedley told the Gazette she would take the signs down before she was prosecuted: "But not for that reason." she said.

"I have nothing to gain by putting these up, they are not adverts they are statements," she said. "I did not want to have to put those signs up, I really didn't, but what else do you do?"

She said that the recent firework display had again seriously traumatised neighbours' horses, not to speak of other animals in the area and she felt she compelled to act again.

"In my opinion the National Park Authority have to say OK, we do not have any legislative way of stopping you doing this, but remember this is a national park and we do not want this.'

"I do not want to fight the National Park Authority but I really feel it is up to them to take some sort of lead on this."

l A survey by the UK Noise Association, released to coincide with Noise Awareness Day, April 29, has found that MPs say fireworks top the table of public noise concerns.

The National Campaign for Firework Safety welcomed the UKNA's findings and said its own survey, due out in June, reaches the same conclusions.

May 2, 2003 10:00