Unlawful cemetery firework display 'disrespectful'

The grass at Mansfield Cemetery was scorched, said the district council

An unauthorised firework display at a cemetery was "not appropriate or acceptable", a council has said.

Mansfield District Council said the display at the town's cemetery, held on 5 November, was unlawful and it was liaising with Nottinghamshire Police over what further action could be taken.

It was not the first time an event of this kind had happened there at this time of year, the council said.

A spokesperson for the authority said it created "quite a clean-up task for our officers and scorched the grass in the cemetery", as well as demonstrating "an immense lack of respect" towards families who had loved ones buried there.

The council said: "We understand that people have different ways to respect and remember their friends and loved ones – and we have no issue with an annual firework display for this purpose.

"But holding an event of this kind in a public cemetery – a place of peace and sanctuary for thousands of local families - is simply not appropriate or acceptable.

"To hold an event of this nature in our parks or public spaces would require the organiser put in a formal request to the council."