Bonfire night

[Cronus]

Bit long winded but here goes.

We live in a row of terraced houses and my neighbour is an ignorant cock. He's an arse and seems to take great delight in doing all he can to wind people up. A few years back he had all his mates around on bonfire night and was letting them off till late. Not talking supermarket fireworks,these are professional ones that rattle the windows when they go off.
My kids and dog didn't like it but nothing I could really do. I complained that there were young children in bed but he didn't give a fck and said he was allowed to do it till midnight,with a big fat smug grin on his face.

Anyway the point is, he's planning on doing it again this year. Short of going round and knocking the crap out of him,which is my preferred method at the minute,does anyone have any suggestions of what I could do to not let it get till midnight? I'm not a killjoy but he has no consideration for my kids or anyone else's around here.

Thought about sprinklers going on around 11pm and drench the bstards but was wondering if people had any other suggestions??

[RSwire]

1 suggestion, go to the local dog park and take up a "collection" and when your neighbor goes for his beer run before the party leave your "presents" you collected in the yard, when the drunk bstrds start stomping in " the leavings" all over the yard the partys over. As last resort the sprinkler.

[chroma]

drench his grass in tar, or for better effect soak his garden thoroughly for a few weeks with methylated spirits, this burns clear so they wont even see the inferno theyre standing in when they light the bonfire.

Failing giving the guy a stint in the severe burns unit:
Laws about nuisance caused by bonfires

There aren?t specific laws against having a bonfire, or when you can have one ? but there are Acts that deal with the nuisance they can cause.
Burning domestic waste

It is an offence to get rid of domestic waste in a way likely to cause pollution or harm to human health, including burning it.
Burning plastic, rubber or painted materials creates poisonous fumes. These can have damaging health effects ? particularly for people with existing health problems, like asthmatics and people with heart conditions.
This is covered under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

• Environmental Protection Act 1990 Opens new window

Danger to traffic caused by smoke

Under the Highways Act 1980, anyone lighting a fire and allowing smoke to drift across a road faces a fine if it endangers traffic. If this happens, call the police.
Highways Act 1980

So anything painted or plastic or smoke drifting over a roadand get on the phone to the rozzers and quote the EPA or HA at them whilst wheezing.

Personaly id just get some calor gas bottles and plant em in his bonfire at 4am the night before and let him hear and feel what a BIG bang is really like
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLIbKz5lik&feature=related"]YouTube - Huge BLEVE explosion 2[/ame]

[Lainie]

i thought legally the noise levels had to be stopped at 10pm. check with your local council. if its terraced housing cant you get advice from your local health and safety? go out a day and leave a song on the cd player on repeat while he is in (preferrably early in the morning)

my boyfriends neighbour (again terraced housing) is an awkward old barsteward. he parks outside my b/f's house on the opposite side of the road from everyone else thus taking up 3 spaces as there has to be room to swerve round him. when lorries or vans etc cant get past they chap our door not his. he wont answer his (he has cameras everywhere including covering the car). bear in mind its an old "w" reg small car (cant remember the make) that noone would want to steal anyway. the street is not wide enough for parked cars on both sides of the road and traffic to travel up or down the street.

anyone in the G15 area able to tow his banger away

[daithi]

I'm from Ireland so were not allowed fireworks at all

but i was up north once and they guy i was visiting said it wasn't illegal buy fireworks but its illegal to let them off without a permit
he said the cops turn a blind eye to it on bonfires night as its to much hassle to try stop everyone
but if you put in a formal complaint and this law also stands in Britain then they would have to intervene

[Canker_Canison]

Forget about laws on fires, look more down the health & safety route.

If he is using 'display' grade fireworks, they have minimum safe distances (as do all fireworks). If he is setting these off without ensuring safe distances are met. Then he could be ordered to stop due to risk of injury. Especially as there are 'members of the public' within this danger area.


I hate 'health & safety' rules & laws. But they can come in useful at times.



Safe fireworks displays
Private fireworks displays
SUMMARY & SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
INTRODUCTION
The considerations for a private display with no paying customers, just family and friends are very different. In all displays you have a duty to consider the safety of all those involved and of property and of the local community. You should restrict the display to Category 2 pyrotechnics - which are designed for smaller displays. However do remember that even the smaller fireworks have the potential to cause injury, damage and disturbance.
For larger private events - weddings etc you might still like to consider having a professionally organised fireworks display with a qualified team to take the problems of organisation off your "to do" list.
One third of all firework injuries are at these smaller fireworks parties and you owe it to your guests and family to make their safety your hightest priority.
Please read this page in conjunction with the DTI safety advice and read the public displays page on this website, the issues are the same, but the responses are tailored to suit the different environment.

AUDIENCE
None of your guests should be allowed into the display with their own fireworks - publicise this in advance, of course if they would like to provide some in advance, you can check them out and add them to your carefully managed display. Make sure they are only Category 2 fireworks and no home made or "modified" efforts.
Have a garden hose connected, together with buckets of water and sand, and if possible a fire extinguisher. If a bonfire is being made, ensure that it is well away from the firing site in a separate, roped off area. In practise most gardens are too small for both a display and a bonfire. DISPLAY LAYOUT
Category 2 fireworks for smaller displays only need 5 metres separation from the audience. Even this can be difficult to arrange in a small garden and you need to be aware of other considerations like trees, wooden garden sheds, fences, furniture not just in your own garden but those of your neighbours too.
You should tell your neighbours that you are planning a display to avoid alarming them. In fact why not invite them to join in. Special consideration should be given to elderly neighbours and to those with young children and pets.
If the display is within 5 metres of somebody else's property then rather than just telling neighbours, you should ask their permission.
The layout of the display should be designed to give the most pleasing effect whilst allowing sufficient distance between the pieces to prevent ignition of one from another. The weather conditions must be taken into consideration - particularly with regard to rockets which can be blown off course. All Fireworks with aerial effects must be angled away from the audience and property to ensure that the remnants fall where they can cause neither injury nor damage.
Stage the display; if possible, with the wind blowing away from the audience. Fire the display quickly to give maximum effect.
At a public display there will be a fence and marshalls to keep spectators 25 metres from the fireworks. At a private display you will be more reliant on the self discipline of the adults and the adults must be charged with keeping the kids under control. The last thing you want is for anyone to get hurt.
Category 2 fireworks give in no way inferior displays. Bigger isn't better. Category 2 fireworks are designed to be safe at a closer distance from the spectator. There is no point in having powerful rockets and mines firing hundreds of feet into the sky, possibly going out of sight behind roofs and trees, causing your guests to crane their necks, disturbing the whole neighbourhood. When the audience is so much closer both sound and visual effects are enhanced. Using Category 3 fireworks in these circumstances is not only dangerous but also a waste of money, your guests aren't going to get the benefit of the full effect. For the price of a single large Category 3 display item you may be able to buy dozens of Category 2 fireworks.
BONFIRE AREA
Probably unsuited to small private displays. However for those with the space a bonfire can be located anywhere provided that it is:
A) at least 15-20 metres from buildings, roads, railways and public rights of way
B) a safe distance from flammable or other dangerous materials eg. petrol, oil or gas
C) a safe distance from overhead electric power lines
D) downwind of spectators
E) well clear of your unused fireworks Be aware of the safety of your guests, children in particular.
Be careful what is placed on the bonfire. Many modern materials can give of toxic, carcinogenic and even lethal fumes. Only burn wood and paper. Wood-like materials such as chipboard contain a mixture of wood (chippings, laminate, sawdust) and plactic based adhesive/resin. This is not suitable bonfire material.
If you are burning a Guy Fawkes effigy don't be tempted to use polystyrene packaging material for the stuffing. Newspaper is traditional and best!
Don't let kids play in and on the bonfire before it is lit. They can get crushed or stabbed by nails and sticks.


FIRING THE DISPLAY
Put Safety first. Do not fire in very high winds. Stop firing if your guests interfere. Limit the number of operators, keeping one person responsible for the overall firing. Ensure that the instructions on each firework are clearly understood before firing. Make sure no one carries fireworks or portfires in their pockets. Carry a powerful electric torch. It is advisable to set up as much of the display as possible (weather permitting) in daylight, but once set up ensure it is not left unattended. Protection against rain can be achieved by covering items with polythene bags or sheets, but these must be removed before firing.
OPERATORS
One responsible person should be in complete control of the display, at least 18 years old, able bodied and wearing non-flammable clothes. (Nylon anoraks are unsuitable, cotton or wool is best).
Safety Goggles and protective gloves are essential.
AFTER THE DISPLAY
It is the responsibility of the hosts to ensure that the site is searched for any fireworks, which may not have gone off, dowse them with water then immerse them with water. All debris should be cleared after the display and the site again examined in daylight next morning and thoroughly cleared.
INSURANCE
Ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for the proposed event. Small private displays may be covered by household or firework supplier's insurance. It is a good idea to check beforehand.






British law classifies fireworks into four categories, listed in BS 7114:

• Category 1 ("indoor") fireworks are for use in extremely restricted areas.

• Category 2 ("garden") fireworks are for use by the public in their gardens. They must be safely viewable from 5 metres away, and must scatter no debris beyond a 3 metre range.

• Category 3 ("display") fireworks are for use by the public in larger displays. They must be safely viewable from 25 metres away, and must scatter no debris beyond a 20 metre range.

• Category 4 ("professional") fireworks are for sale only to fireworks professionals. They have no restrictions, and this is the default category for any firework which has not been tested to confirm that it should be in one of the lower categories.

Technically, it is not illegal for a firework to be set off at less than the minimum safely viewable distance; however, in the event of any injury to a spectator, the firer who did so would be personally liable for the unsafe use of explosives. (If an injury occurred to a spectator when a firework was set off at the proper safety distance, the firework manufacturer would be liable.)

[chucklor]

Make an anonymous phone call to the fire brigade when he starts his antics, then after they condem his actions and display you can nip round and knock his lights out for being a threat to you and yours....chuck

[maca]

just knock ~~~~ out of him...simples..

[wongers]

i thought if you are using display fireworks which you said he is you have to have a pyrotechnic liscence issued by your local council if he has'nt got one then the police should stop him and confiscate his fireworks after thats been done tw*t him and warn him to behave or there's more

[cactikid]

camcorder to tape his goings on.

[chucklor]

Have a quick word with your decent neighbours and tell them your plan, then get a hi-fi system and position the speakers at the tw_ts house and then play something like the birdie song at full blast over and over again for the duration whilst you are sat in your gaff supping tea, if that dont piss him off I dont know what will , then nip round the next day and slap him just to let him know who is the bitch....

[maca]

or you could set fire to his house from the front while he sets fireworks off in the back garden. if you dont feel up to doing this just go down your local off license at tea time give a few hoodies a couple of quid to do it for you. failing that just knock ~~~~ out of him again...

[patkins]

There`s a lot of very good suggestions above but as it`s the weekend can you move kids to relatives house for the night and you ,yourself, join in with killjoys antics.
There`s no fun in it for killjoy next door if he`s not annoying you.
Bring round plenty of beer and chips and leave all the rubbish on his lawn and of course a bit outside his gate to draw peoples attention.
Then, at about 4am. upend your rubbish bin into his garden to add more colour to the scorched lawn.
Just a suggestion. Hmmm.

[chroma]

i thought legally the noise levels had to be stopped at 10pm. check with your local council. if its terraced housing cant you get advice from your local health and safety? go out a day and leave a song on the cd player on repeat while he is in (preferrably early in the morning)

my boyfriends neighbour (again terraced housing) is an awkward old barsteward. he parks outside my b/f's house on the opposite side of the road from everyone else thus taking up 3 spaces as there has to be room to swerve round him. when lorries or vans etc cant get past they chap our door not his. he wont answer his (he has cameras everywhere including covering the car). bear in mind its an old "w" reg small car (cant remember the make) that noone would want to steal anyway. the street is not wide enough for parked cars on both sides of the road and traffic to travel up or down the street.

anyone in the G15 area able to tow his banger away

He might be in breach of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and liable for a tow as it is lainie.
Did you know for instance that its Illegal to park facing into traffic? so if hes not facing in the direction of traffic then hes setting himself up for a tow.

Its also illegal to park outside someones property if they dont permit it.

Its also illegal to cause an obstruction to other road users pedestrians and especialy emergency servicies.

[thered]

He might be in breach of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and liable for a tow as it is lainie.
Did you know for instance that its Illegal to park facing into traffic? so if hes not facing in the direction of traffic then hes setting himself up for a tow.

Its also illegal to park outside someones property if they dont permit it.

Its also illegal to cause an obstruction to other road users pedestrians and especialy emergency servicies.

agree with two points but you can park anywhere in a street as long as its not obstructing access to a driveway or it has yellow lines or you are not a resident ie in a residents only street

other than this there is no law to stop me parking outside anyones house i choose

having a space outside your house does not make it yours its just courtesy not to park outside soneone elses house