Hundreds of people defied an urgent warning from a Merseyside council
Bonfire at Ilchester Park in Birkenhead(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
Hundreds of people defied an urgent warning from a Merseyside council and gathered to watch an unauthorised bonfire being lit. Residents had been urged to stay away from Ilchester Park in Birkenhead after it was found that the bonfire there had been built far larger than permitted.
According to Wirral Council, the fire’s size exceeded the limits set by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. Just minutes before the event was due to begin, a council spokesperson announced that the North Birkenhead Development Trust (NBDT) had withdrawn from organising the planned celebration at Ilchester Park.
The spokesperson said: “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.
Crowds at Ilchester Park in Birkenhead(Image: Liverpool ECHO)
“As such, any activity on Ilchester Park this evening is unauthorised, and residents should not attend.”
Nevertheless, hundreds of people still turned up, and photographs showed a massive bonfire blazing in the park.
Community Bonfire Night events have long been a Wirral tradition, but this year tensions flared after organisers of two events were told to reduce the size of their bonfires. All events, even long-established ones, were required to go through a new approval process.
The process was introduced following recommendations from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) and a new policy approved by councillors earlier this year, following a successful 2024 trial. MFRS reported that several bonfires last year were unsafe, prompting stricter safety measures going forward.
Four bonfire night events were 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.
Wirral Council and Merseyside Fire and Rescue have been contacted for comment.