People have been told not to attend tonight’s event
18:26, 05 Nov 2025Updated 18:29, 05 Nov 2025
A huge crowd gathers to watch the bonfire on Ilchester Park in 2024(Image: Liverpool Echo)
People are being told not to turn up to a popular Bonfire Night event in Merseyside after the bonfire was built too big. Wirral Council said the size of the bonfire at Ilchester Park has breached the limit set by the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.
Community Bonfire Night events have been a tradition in Wirral for many years, but this year tensions erupted after two events were told their bonfires needed to be smaller. All events, including those that have been held for decades, were required to undergo an approval process.
This was brought in following recommendations from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) and a new policy approved by councillors earlier this year, after a successful trial in 2024. MFRS indicated some bonfires last year were considered unsafe, leading to the need for stricter regulations moving forward.
Following claims on social media Wirral Council was cancelling bonfire night events in October; two bonfires were set alight on the Woodchurch estate and at North Birkenhead’s Ilchester Park. Questions were asked about what went wrong.
An authorised bonfire event is going ahead on the Woodchurch estate(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Four bonfire night events have been approved by the local authority at Leasowe, Beechwood, Noctorum and Seacombe and are moving ahead. An authorised event is now taking place on the Woodchurch estate which is being organised by community group Woodchurch Connect.
After the fire was set alight at Ilchester, Wirral Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Julie McManus, said she and fellow Bidston and St James councillor Cllr Liz Grey were trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
Following a meeting with them, the organisers for the bonfire event thanked them “for showing their support today in meeting up in efforts to get our night pushed through.”
The event was being supported by the North Birkenhead Development Trust, which runs the St James Centre nearby. On October 29, the trust said: “We’ve listened to the community this week and recognise that an organised event feels safer and less stressful for many.”
The trust added: “Huge thanks to everyone who’s helped make it happen. Working together was the only way to get the event authorised safely, and it’s a great example of what we can achieve when the community and services pull together.
“The bonfire will be smaller this year and built just two days before the event to meet safety [regulations]. Expect an incredible fireworks display, live music, food, and the same North End spirit we all love.”
The bonfire at Ilchester Park has previously been lit(Image: Liverpool Echo)
However, just minutes before the event was supposed to start, a Wirral Council spokesperson said: “Regrettably, the North Birkenhead Development Trust (NBDT) have had to withdraw from their role as organisers of tonight’s planned event at Ilchester Park.
“This is due to some members of the local community building the bonfire bigger than the limit that was specified by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and which was a requirement under the terms of the land use agreement with Wirral Council. As such, any activity on Ilchester Park this evening is unauthorised, and residents should not attend.”
Despite this message, the organisers appear to be moving ahead based on a Facebook page for the event. No mention is made of a bonfire in a post at 3:28pm on November 5, but it promised one hell of a firework display between 7pm and 9pm.