Penzance fireworks cancelled to protect pets and planet

An annual firework display which attracted thousands of people has been cancelled to prevent distress to pets.

Organisers of the Penzance display, scheduled for 5 November, said another reason for calling it off was to protect the environment.

Penzance's rotary club has run the bonfire nights since 1974 but said they had not gone ahead for the last two or three years.

It said: "We love fireworks, but we love animals and the environment more."

Pets often become distressed by loud bangs from fireworks, and the waste created can be damaging to the marine environment.

Des Hosken, president of Penzance Rotary, said: "We haven't had the fireworks display for the last two or three years, and we decided wanted to protect the environment and pets".

"We get a lot of enquiries about the display and there are a lot of fireworks enthusiasts around but we felt overall it was the right thing to do."

In its place there are plans to have a "festive fun, fire, laser and sound spectacular in the run up to Christmas".

The rotary club has run not-for-profit Guy Fawkes night displays in the town for more than 40 years.

The display was initially set up "to provide a safe environment for families to watch, as there were a lot of accidents with fireworks at home in those days", Mr Hosken said.

"More recently we have been using the most up to date, completely automated electronic systems."

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