Should loud fireworks fizzle out for pets' sake?

A riding school owner who had to have a horse put down after it was spooked by fireworks is among those backing calls to make Bonfire Night quieter.

The government is considering tighter restrictions, which could see the maximum noise of fireworks sold to the public cut from 120 to 110 decibels.

Joyce Fearn, who has run Bleach Yard Stables in Beverley for almost 60 years, was devastated when, two years ago, Savannah panicked and suffered leg injures so severe that she had to be euthanised.

On the other side of the fence, Mike Carter, of Discount Fireworks, a licensed retailer in Hull, said tighter rules risk creating a black market.

When 84-year-old Fearn moved to the stables in 1967, they were surrounded by open countryside. As Beverley grew around it, so did the problems with rockets and loud fireworks in the run-up to Bonfire Night.

"Over the years the Lions used to have a bonfire on the Westwood [pastureland] and we all knew when it was, when it began, when it finished and we could take the horses as far away as possible," she said.

"Since that has stopped happening, local people will go and buy all sorts of very loud things that they seem to be able to get hold of nowadays and fire them across here, which makes it very, very noisy."

Fearn said she tries to limit harm to horses by using special ear plugs and acoustic ear covers, and leaves stable lights on during Bonfire Night to try to keep them calm.

It was not enough to prevent 16-year-old Savannah, a retired dessage horse, becoming injured.

"The rockets and things that were going up in the air with thousands of decibels banging and clattering, it was just too much for her," she said.

"She was trying to climb out over the top of the stable and she injured one of her front legs really badly and pulled one of the tendons so badly we just couldn't get it better."

Welcoming the government consultation on making fireworks quieter, Fearn said: "I think it's a brilliant idea.

"I don't think people should be denied the opportunity of celebrating, but I wish they could be persuaded to do it in a quieter manner because it does cause a lot of difficulty, unpleasantness and terror."

Meanwhile, the impact of fireworks is also felt at Jerry Green Dog Rescue in North Lincolnshire, where staff take extra precautions such as closing blinds and playing calming classical music to dogs overnight.

Centre manager Emma Connelly also backs calls for quieter fireworks, and appealed for people holding private displays to think of those with animals.

"Anything that can be done to just make it a little bit less intense has got to be a good thing for everyone that might be intimidated by them," she said.

"We don't want to be party poopers. We want everybody to have a good time, but sometimes, unless you've lived through it, it doesn't necessarily enter into your thoughts just to drop people a line."

The government's consultation, run by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, closed on 7 October.

It said reducing the maximum noise of fireworks sold to the public from 120 to 110 decibels would roughly halve how loud they sound.

Under the proposals, louder fireworks would still be available to professionals, so organised public displays could still use them.

But Mike Carter, of Discount Fireworks, a licensed retailer in Hull, said limiting the sound to 110 decibels would rule out up to 90% of the rockets and barrage fireworks he currently offers for sale, limiting customers to smaller selection boxes.

He fears more legislation would effectively create a black market.

"There's already enough regulations in place, and I think the local authorities should focus more on the rules and regulations already in place and tackle illegal sales of fireworks, rather than making it more difficult for responsible retailers," he said.

"You just push it further underground. People will still want louder fireworks and then it's how they'll then get their hands on them, because one way or another they will."

But there has been a shift in sales of quieter fireworks, with manufacturers now targeting those who prefer less of a bang.

"We have low noise selection boxes available, we have low sound rockets. There's a barrage called Muted Madness and that's been manufactured to be lower noise," said Carter.

"But you still find in general with sales not a lot of people want the low noise, but we stock it so that the option is available for those who want it."