Traditional bonfire is torn down (From Barry And District News)

Traditional bonfire is torn down

A BARRY community was furious when their Guy Fawkes Night event was stopped by Vale of Glamorgan Council workers for safety reasons.

Narberth Court homeowners have joined with their neighbours in the surrounding streets to build a bonfire to celebrate the annual event for nearly three decades.

But this year two lorries, a JCB digger and two police vans were on the scene as the council dismantled what they described as a health hazard. Mother-of-one Catherine Watkins, of Narberth Court, said: "It is a great way to celebrate bonfire night. I can't afford to go to the Barry Island fireworks. It would cost a lot for me to go down with my child, because I would have to get a taxi. So it is a great for the other residents who also can't afford to go to the Island."

Residents were furious as the stack of wood was being torn down and at one stage several children got on to the top of the bonfire pile and refused to get down.

They eventually climbed down and the residents helped to take the stack apart. The digger put the rest of the rubbish in a lorry.

Long time resident, Michael Greenslade said: "It has been going for 28 years so why should is year be different? You can see on the field that it has been scorched over the years. Everybody came to the bonfire last year - it was great. There were parents looking after children and everyone had a good time. There wasn't any trouble."

A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesperson said: "We cleared three bonfires on Guy Fawkes Night. We did not want to spoil people's fun. The council considered the fires to be dangerous.

"If a bonfire is too close to houses or the fire contains plastic or other rubbish which will cause nauseous fumes we will remove the stack. This is for the safety of the public."