Police warn illegal fireworks haul in Wakefield could have caused ‘major incident’

Police have issued a warning that a substantial quantity of fireworks discovered at a residence in Wakefield carried the potential to trigger a “major incident” if they had detonated. West Yorkshire Police reported that over 385lb (175kg) of illicit fireworks were confiscated from the premises on Peacock Avenue on 29 October. These fireworks had been advertised for sale via social media platforms, with some possessing a power level suitable exclusively for professional displays. Law enforcement officials characterized such actions as “beyond reckless to act in this way”. According to the force, upon officers’ arrival at the house, the individual who responded to the doorbell declined to cooperate. Police conducted a search of the property, where they discovered the items. All the fireworks were subsequently removed by specially trained officers and stored securely. Insp Paul Fraser, representing the Wakefield Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, stated: “Had these fireworks exploded in the house then there would no doubt have been a major incident and potentially loss of life or life-changing injuries suffered by anybody in the vicinity.” He added: “It is beyond reckless to act in this way and place people at high risk of harm for the purposes of greed.” He encouraged the public to purchase fireworks solely from registered suppliers.