Residents urged to stick with the Good Guys this Bonfire Night

Shops across the borough have promised to extinguish trouble this Halloween and Bonfire Night by pledging to be ‘good guy’ retailers.

The ‘good guys’ scheme, sees traders sign up to range of measures around the safe sale of fireworks to ensure people don’t come to any harm during the autumn celebrations.

Shops in the scheme, including big name chains like Asda and Tesco, have all agreed to operate Challenge 25, to only sell fireworks between 15 October and 10 November and to ensure all their fireworks bear the British safety standard.

Businesses in the scheme will display certificates to let people know that they are certified ‘good guys’ retailers.

A Rochdale Borough Council initiative, Good Guys runs alongside Operation Treacle, a Greater Manchester wide scheme, which sees police, fire and council officers work together to combat anti-social behaviour around Halloween and Bonfire Night.

The council also steps up the number of test purchase exercises it carries out in shops across the borough, with anyone caught selling fireworks to children potentially facing a fine of up to £5,000 or six months imprisonment.

To support this, police and fire officers will be visiting retailers in the run up to Bonfire Night advising on issues around anti-social behaviour and how to store fireworks safely.

Councillor Cecile Biant, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We’re working hard with our partners to ensure that everyone has a safe and peaceful celebration this year.

“I would encourage residents to attend one of the three fantastic bonfires and firework displays we have organised across the borough, which attract hundreds of people every year and are free of charge. If they are holding their own celebration, we would ask that they only buy from our good guy retailers.”

For more information on work taking place to keep people safe this Halloween and Bonfire Night and for top safety tips, please visit www.safe4autumn.com

For more information on the bonfires and firework displays in Rochdale borough, please visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/events

The following retailers are signed up to the Good Guys scheme:

Heywood

• Bulldog Fireworks Displays
• Lower Whittle Farm, Doctor Fold Lane
• Morrisons, Dawson Street
• Aldi Stores, Bradshaw Street.

Middleton

• Tesco, Barton Road.
• All in One Garden Centre, Rochdale Road.
• Greg’s Discount Foods, Old Hall Street.

Rochdale

• Asda, Dane Street.
• Cosmic Fireworks, Drake Street.
• Lidl, Spotland Road.
• Aldi, Entwistle Road.
• The Range, Kingsway Retail Park.
• Aldi, Edinburgh Way
• Tesco, Silk Street
• Morrisons, Kingsway 

Pennines:

• J&S Wilkinson, Rochdale Road, Milnrow.
• A.J. Off Licence and Convenience Store.