EMERGENCY services have issued advice ahead of Lewes Bonfire celebrations, urging people not to be complacent over Covid and saying the message to stay local is “doubly important this year”.
Precautionary measures include no trains running after 5pm from Lewes, Glynde or Southease, while several roads around Lewes will be closed overnight and people are encouraged to not take cars into the town.
Organisers and emergency services are worried about large, packed crowds and the risk of Covid, so are encouraging people to go to events near their homes where possible.
Chief Superintendent Howard Hodges, who is Gold Commander for Sussex Police’s Lewes Bonfire operations, said the force was encouraging people to go to other celebrations. He said they should consider their “social responsibility” and think about “doing the right thing” due to the risk of Covid.
He said: "The big change this year is of course Covid and that is why we’re encouraging people, not just because of the traditional risk this event poses but because we can’t be complacent about Covid. The message to stay locally is doubly important this year.
“If people are going to come, we ask them to wear masks, take lateral flow tests before and certainly not come if you have any symptoms. Don’t be complacent because the pandemic is still here.”
The fact November 5 falls on a Friday has, in the past, meant larger crowds.
Police said they were very aware of that and have put lots of measures in place to cut the number of people coming from afar.
Chief Supt Hodges said: “We recognise the event didn’t take place last year and we recognise historically that Fridays and Saturdays have seen larger average attendances.
“So we are completely alive to that, which is why we work so hard to make sure people stay local. Across Sussex there is a great range of events that people can go to safely and locally.”
East Sussex Fire Rescue Service (ESFRS) also warned of Covid and said it “completely discourages” uncontrolled events that are not run by the Lewes bonfire societies.
Nigel Cusack, borough commander for ESFRS’s west group, said there were a number of risks but the service also wants people to enjoy this “historical event while also looking after themselves”.
He said: “There are a number of risks that we face collectively as a group, the first one being the pandemic we have just been through. Lewes is inherently small in nature and tight and compact in the streets so we want to reduce the crowd density.
“For the fire rescue service, fireworks are inherently dangerous but what we have with the bonfire societies is a really well set up and structured event, they’re very professional and very precise in the way they release their displays.
“Perhaps the biggest risk to us is those uncontrolled events. Those clubs, houses and people having displays at home or people bringing fireworks in, we totally discourage that."
Mr Cusack said if people are going to have private displays, they need to follow bonfire safety rules.
He said: “We want people to go to professional displays, however if you are going to have a display please make sure you follow bonfire fire safety rules, so make sure no large-scale fires, make sure you have got water ready to hand, don’t put it next to buildings.
“It sounds like common sense but you would be amazed what can happen. Obviously with the fireworks, light them at arm’s length, don’t have them in pockets, don’t carry them around with you, make sure you never return to a lit fire work and follow instructions on the packaging.”
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