FIREWORK fragments raining down from the sky during the spectacular finale to Upton Water Festival have prompted fears over the safety of the event.

Two carrier bags full of spent fireworks were sent to Tuesday night's meeting of the the town council by a resident of East Waterside.

One of the pieces of debris - a spherical object the size of a baby's head - caused great concern among the councillors.

Mayor Roger Barker said he had been personally approached by the worried resident.

"It's not just somebody being a moaning minnie," he said. "Fireworks like these could do serious damage.

"The residents of East Waterside are forced to cover their cars with something solid while the display takes place. If they just covered them with plastic sheeting, it would burn straight through.

"Next year, when the festival organisers apply for a licence we need to sit down and discuss the issues because this is not acceptable. Health and safety need to be looked at specifically."

Coun Barker said the resident, whose identity was not revealed during the meeting, had complained that besides the danger posed by the falling fireworks, no one ever came round to clear up the considerable mess left after the display.

He said the suggestion had been made that the event should be moved to Fish Meadow, away from any residential areas.

Mark Fisher, a resident of East Waterside, said he had not raised the matter with the council but agreed that the event did pose a danger.

"We enjoy the firework display ourselves but the number of spent fireworks that come raining down on our property is incredible," he explained. "We've had roof tiles cracked and I have to clean out the gutters and pick up dozens of fireworks from the garden every year."

Coun Eric White proposed that the event's organisers, Upton Tourism and Trade Association, should be invited to meet with the open spaces committee to discuss the matter. The motion was passed unanimously.