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Islanders have signalled their support for banning 'pet-distressing' impromptu firework displays and only allowing licensed ones in their response to an Express poll.
Calls for more regulations have been growing in the past 10 days after a number of fireworks went off in the run-up to Bonfire Night.
Express ran a survey on whether fireworks should be limited to licensed displays earlier this week, with the majority of participants in favour of the idea.
Over 760 people took part in the poll with 62.4% (477) stating they would support such restrictions. 37.6% (288) said they were against the idea.
Pictured: Results from Express' survey on fireworks.
Discussions on restrictions around the sale of fireworks and public displays came as many islanders reported how distressed their cat, dog, or horse had been by the loud bangs.
With Tamba Park, the Parish of St. Martin, Le Moulin de Lecq, Variety and The Farmers Inn in St. Ouen planning their own display and islanders organising their own in their garden, some also shared their irritation over the constant noise at night.
The issue sparked many debates on social media with some supporting the idea of restrictions for safety reasons, both for animals and humans, while others said it would ruin the fun.
Those debates prompted islander Andy Jones to start a petition to only allow fireworks to be sold or supplied for licensed displays. He explained: "Every November fireworks are freely available, and are set off in the streets much to the serious distress of dogs and other family pets, there is equally a risk of personal injury and damage to property.
"Firework displays are enjoyed by thousands of people throughout the year during a variety of celebrations. There can be no real need or benefit in the use and sale of ‘domestic’ fireworks which in reality cause more distress and danger than they do enjoyment."
In just over a day, it has received over 1,000 signatures, meaning that the Home Affairs Minister, Constable Len Norman, will have to officially respond.
Pictured: The Home Affairs Minister, Len Norman, said he intends to bring firework regulations before the end of the year.
However, it appears the issue of fireworks may have already been on the Minister's agenda.
In Tuesday's States Assembly meeting, Constable Norman revealed that he intended to bring fireworks regulations before the end of the year. He explained that such regulations were to be included in the amended Explosives Law but that they were shelved due to the elections.
He said the Constables would be required to be the licensing authority for fireworks, as there is currently none at the moment. The Minister added that the regulations would include a notification to neighbours as well as a set duration for the display and safety arrangements for public displays.
But he said he had no intentions to bring those regulations for private displays. "We have to be very careful how we describe a 'public display' and a 'private display'," he commented, explaining that while a display in his own back garden would clearly be private, a display in the grounds of a hotel, which might be thought as being private, could in fact be classified as a public one as the public has access to it.
He assured the States that the improved regulations would be brought before the Assembly before the end of the year.
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