IF there was an annual award for the region's biggest Killjoy, the Highways Agency and Lancashire Police would be well ahead of the rest of the field.

A warning to shoe and clothing superstore Winfield's, of Haslingden, of an estimated £3,000 bill to cover the cost of closing one half of a road during a free organised fireworks display on November 5, must be one of the most miserable actions any agency or police force has ever made.

Not surprisingly, Winfield's told the Highways Agency and the police what to do with their proposed charge and the display was called off, disappointing thousands of youngsters.

How on earth do officials work out how much it costs to close a road ?

Ironically the county council, who act for the agency, and police have, in recent years, joined with safety organisations in advising parents to take their children to properly organised displays instead of allowing them to do their own thing.

Yet, in one clumsy move the agency and police have managed to undermine sound advice, even though they themselves supported it.

A lot of hard work, and no doubt cash, had gone into the planning of a display that would have relieved parents of the worry of bonfire night.

But this hard-hearted action will leave thousands of kids with no organised display.

Will they stay at home and watch a video? Of course they won't.

The chances are they will be out letting off their own fireworks.

If just one of them is seriously injured by a firework or bonfire the cost of treatment will add up to much more than £3,000.

The Winfield's display had become an annual favourite in these parts.

People travelled from all over East Lancashire and beyond to enjoy a well organised display which was as safe as it is possible to make fireworks spectaculars.

Now, thanks to a government agency and the police, it has been replaced with a damp squib.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.