North Lanarkshire Trading Standards have seized fireworks worth between £6,000 and £10,000 from an unlicensed address in Wishaw, with support from Police Scotland.
Trading Standards visited the premises after receiving a tip-off from a member of the public about fireworks being advertised for sale.
As well as being unlicensed, the large quantity of fireworks found were dangerously stored alongside a gas canister, flammable materials and liquids. A car engine was running in the unit when Trading Standards Officers visited, and a man present at the premises was arrested on another matter. A report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal in respect of the unlicensed fireworks storage.
Anyone who sells fireworks is required to hold a license to store them, and all licensed premises are inspected by the council to ensure they are stored safely.
Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “The licensing system is in place to ensure fireworks are stored correctly and that only adults can buy them. So it is important that unlicensed traders who do not comply with the safety restrictions are identified and stopped from selling fireworks in our communities.”
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