Bonfire chaos

HUGE CLEAN UP OPERATION AFTER HUNDREDS ATTEND UNAUTHORISED DISPLAY IN BIRKENHEAD PARK AS LOCALS HAIL 'BRILLIANT NIGHT'

- By JAMIE GREER

A HUGE cleanup operation began this morning after hundreds ignored warnings not to attend an unauthorised bonfire.

The event took place at Ilchester Park in Birkenhead with a huge bonfire being built as well as fireworks being set off.

The event was being supported by the North Birkenhead Development Trust (NBT), which runs the St James Centre nearby.

However, just minutes before the event was supposed to start, a Wirral Council spokesperson said the trust had withdrawn from its role as the bonfire was built too big.

It followed several weeks of tensions between the council and communities across Wirral after two other events were also told their bonfires needed to be smaller. All events, including those that have been held for decades, were required to undergo an approval process.

This was brought in following recommendations from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) and a new policy approved by councillors earlier this year, after a successful trial in 2024.