Crisis plan 'untested' at delayed fireworks event

A review carried out after a fireworks display was delayed has said the event's emergency plan had been untested, leading to confusion.

Oswestry Town Council apologised after its event in Cae Glas Park had to be delayed for an hour on 2 November last year, following "safety issues".

Some spectators said people chose to leave before the display eventually got underway and others said they were told to move because fencing was too close to the fireworks.

The council, which organised the event with Borderland Rotary Club, commissioned a review which also found the emergency plan lacked a sufficient level of detail and the management structure was unclear.

The review was carried out by MBO Safety Services Limited,

"The last-minute changes by the fireworks team and the large crowd only added to the confusion and distress," it said and recommended a comprehensive event management plan is drawn up for future events, with clear structures, roles and responsibilities.

It also stressed the need for better communication and said the location chosen for the firework display was not big enough for the number of people who turned up and because it was free, the council had little control of capacity on the night.

The report said people should have been told of the limited capacity and warned they would not be able to get in once that had been reached.

Arren Roberts, the clerk at Oswestry Town Council, thanked the company which produced the report and said the council was "considering all the recommendations made".

He also said: "The last thing any of us want is for families to leave our events feeling let down and our priority must always be safety first."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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