Driver finds smouldering firework under car bonnet

A lit firework was found under the bonnet of a car during an otherwise mostly-peaceful Bonfire Night in Greater Manchester, firefighters said.

Owner Nizam Patel said he discovered the smouldering firework after he spotted smoke coming from his BMW in Bolton.

He said people had been setting them off in a nearby bin and one had slipped through his car’s grill.

Elsewhere in the town, a bonfire spread to nearby trees on Fold Road, Stoneclough.

Face coverings were banned in parts parts of Gorton and Abbey Hey in east Manchester in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour.

Police also issued a Section 60 order, which gave officers additional powers to stop and search people in the area.

It comes after parts of Gorton were compared to Gotham City last year when firefighters came under attack by masked men hurling fireworks.

This year, at Rochdale fire station, crews were called to just five incidents including two false alarms and one medical emergency.

“It’s not been so busy today,” firefighter Amir Ahmed told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“It’s pot luck. Weather plays a big part and it being during the week on a school and work night – it makes a big difference. We were a lot busier on the weekend.

“There’s also a lot of due diligence we do leading up to these events, where we visit fireworks shops and things like that – so we’re quite prepared.”