Sussex bonfire 'grenade' warning (From The Argus)
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Sussex bonfire 'grenade' warning
7:20am Wednesday 3rd October 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan, Health Reporter
Revellers heading for bonfire celebrations are being warned to be on alert for a new firework described as being like a “hand grenade”.
The warning was issued as it was revealed that the explosive is likely to have been responsible for the blinding of two people in Sussex last year.
Specialists at Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton treated a number of patients who were injured at Lewes Bonfire last year.
A 58-year-old and a 13-year-old were both blinded in one eye.
Three other patients, aged ten, 15 and 18, were seriously injured and now face a lifelong risk of glaucoma.
The Sussex Eye Hospital team said police inquiries suggested the injuries may be linked to “rope-banger deer scarers”.
These have a slow burning fuse that ignites several explosives along the rope.
When cut down, the fuse and explosive can be lit and thrown, causing an explosion described by one specialist as “being a bit like a hand grenade going off”.
All the patients involved had a blunt injury to the eyeball, caused by material within the explosive charge.
In a letter to the British Medical Journal, Edward Pringle and colleagues said: “Numbers of blinding injuries have fallen in countries with legislation that controls the use and distribution of fireworks.
“The UK has legislation to limit distribution, but deer scarers are exempt because they are not actual fireworks.”
They said 52% of firework injuries occur at public events, adding: “Organisers must engage their audience in safer use of fireworks and encourage eye protection.
“If we cannot create effective legislation, we must create a culture that does not tolerate the throwing of banger-type explosives into crowds.”
Mr Pringle said: “Nationally, around seven to eight serious eye injuries like these are expected to occur and so we were not expecting the five we got.
“We need to get the message out there that these types of explosives are extremely dangerous.
“In one of the patients we extracted a piece of explosive from their eye.
“This is why we are suggesting the use of eye protection or at least to raise awareness of this type of explosive.
“We don't want to see the same numbers coming back this year.”
A spokeswoman for Lewes District Council said: “The council, as a member of the Bonfire Safety Group, has been working with the bonfire societies and other agencies including Sussex Police to reduce accidents at
Lewes Bonfire celebrations.
“Last year there was a particular problem with ‘rookies’ causing serious eye injuries to a number of people. We are keen to avoid a repetition of this problem at this year’s event and will be promoting the use of eye protectors and ear defenders and discouraging the throwing or dropping of fireworks either in the crowds or in the processions.”
A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “We have bonfire liaison officers who work directly with the societies.”
Noel Tobin, director of the National Campaign for Firework Safety, said: “This is not something that I have heard of before.
“People need to act responsibly around fireworks and explosives and should not be using something so potentially dangerous in this way.”
Comments(19)
F in L
says...
9:18am Wed 3 Oct 12
Juleyanne wrote:They are legal and they are for Scaring Deer, hence the name...
Surely these cannot be legal! These deadly explosives not only put members of the public at risk, they absolutely terrify
domestic pets and wildlife. Some morons cheap thrill should not be at the expense of people and animals!
Crystal Ball
says...
9:54am Wed 3 Oct 12
sbiscorrupt
says...
12:45pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Crystal Ball wrote:Those who are trying to grow crops for our consumption?
What monumental moron would want to scare deer?
AmboGuy
says...
1:14pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Crystal Ball wrote:What monumental moron wouldn't be able to work out why some people need to keep deer away?
What monumental moron would want to scare deer?
Crystal Ball
says...
1:49pm Wed 3 Oct 12
AmboGuy wrote:You seem to have missed the point but hey-ho.
Crystal Ball wrote:What monumental moron wouldn't be able to work out why some people need to keep deer away?
What monumental moron would want to scare deer?
bogs
says...
1:52pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Juleyanne
says...
3:28pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Old Ladys Gin
says...
3:30pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Last Guy Fawkes we had a neighbour complaining about noise at 1930 as his children were trying to get to sleep.
I am certain, absolutely certain, that the children would far have preferred to be out and about with all the whizzes and bangs that should be around on that evening.
The Gunpower Plot was one of the historical events that shaped the history of this country, in particular its religious history.
It is an important event and no less perhaps than the 4th of July in the USA or Bastille day in France and deserves to be properly celebrated.
Old Ladys Gin
says...
3:43pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Juleyanne wrote:They said 52% of firework injuries occur at public events'
So untrained drunken idiots detonating explosives amongst crowds and terrifying animals is ok then?
Seems that most injuries occur at organised events where there are trained and presumably sober idiots!
Animals are terrified by anything outside their limited knowledge; can we possibly lead our lives hoping not to offend an animal?
A cat we had was terrified by the tumble dryer (and no it wasn't inside it at the time!) should we not have tumble dryers then?
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit
says...
4:01pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Crystal Ball wrote:What was your point then? I too thought the same as AmboGuy that even by the very low intellectual standards of most Argus comments yours almost defied belief. Be happy to be proved wrong.
AmboGuy wrote:You seem to have missed the point but hey-ho.
Crystal Ball wrote:What monumental moron wouldn't be able to work out why some people need to keep deer away?
What monumental moron would want to scare deer?
voiceofthescoombe
says...
4:14pm Wed 3 Oct 12
getThisCoalitionOut
says...
4:19pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Deer should not be scared in this way - cruel beyond words .
morgan60
says...
4:42pm Wed 3 Oct 12
John Steed
says...
7:10pm Wed 3 Oct 12
voiceofthescoombe wrote:all the lewes bonfire societies via the bonfire council banned the use of the high power scarer shortly after last years events in lewes, this ban did not apply to the traditional rookie, which is always dropped safely within the procession and only thrown when at the clergy at the firesite, who these days for reasons of wimpiness, sorry health and safety are clad with ear plugs, goggles and chicken wire safety screens, but thats progress, it should be noted that at outmeetings the use of traditional rookies is controlled by the bonfire society hosting the night, so far all outmeetings have been rookie free partly due to the number of children included in the ranks and partly because outmeeting are fun, family events in the towns and villages hosting them,with many young children enjoying the spectacle of the night. happily the tub thumpers are going a littleway to liven the processions up. for those who wonder why deer need scaring, well their number has increased from a million to some 10 million in the last ten years with a cull of some 350,000 a year, they can do significant damage to crops
Rookies are not new but are incrediably loud and should be kept out of the hand of idiots.
Charlie Oscar
says...
9:11pm Wed 3 Oct 12
F in L
says...
9:18pm Wed 3 Oct 12
Charlie Oscar wrote:I am saddened by the demise of the old Phone Boxes, they would go with a bang, and in my day we used to throw Railway Safety Stop Detonators into the Large Public Bonfires that we could not afford to go to.... in the afternoon... then watch from the Council Flats as they ran screaming into the night. We did not have much money, but we made our own fun.
They used to be great for putting in dog poo bins, sh*t hits the fan :)
Dr.Draconian
says...
11:39pm Wed 3 Oct 12
JGEvans
says...
10:55am Thu 4 Oct 12
getThisCoalitionOut wrote:Obviously your motive is mostly political and I wouldn't normally post on these comments sections but your 'cruel beyond words' comment really rubbed me up the wrong way.
What with the badger cull it would appear our government and farmers need to have a few of these inserted where the sun don't shine in order to stop this madness.
Deer should not be scared in this way - cruel beyond words .
You are completely trivialising real purposeful animal cruelty. If you can't find the words to describe how cruel it is to make a loud noise to scare off animals is then you must be speechless a lot of the time!
From one animal lover to another.
Juleyanne says...
8:15am Wed 3 Oct 12
domestic pets and wildlife. Some morons cheap thrill should not be at the expense of people and animals!