'I go without sleep because of 3am fireworks'

Residents in a town where "constant" fireworks are being set off late at night have said they are "exhausted and frustrated".

People living in Coppice, in Oldham, said they were woken up at night by fireworks being set off around wedding venues or in car parks - despite it being illegal to set off fireworks past 23:00.

"It is constant during the wedding season," said local Afruz Miah. "Some days I go without sleep because I am woken up at 03:00 by firework noise. It's frustrating."

Oldham Council said it was committed to tackling late-night fireworks, which could cause unwanted "noise, littering and anti-social behaviour".

Miah, 53, lives with his wife, their three adult children and their youngest, a 12-year-old child.

He said the noise of fireworks was an issue for the whole family, including the household's two cats.

"They'll be set off late at night," he explained. "Not even midnight but at 2 or 3 in the morning.

"I am woken up, the children are woken up.

"The children are frightened - the cats are definitely frightened."

Miah said imams working at local mosques had "frequently" reminded people to respect others, in regards to fireworks.

"Imams constantly go on about this," he said. "Reminding people that completing their marriage rites doesn't mean you can inconvenience other people."

Miah, who is a fundraising manager for humanitarian charity Global Relief Trust, said the disruption affected both his personal and work life.

"Sometimes I come home late and and then when you have all that destruction it just really, really does affect me," he said.

"Especially if I have morning meetings or have to travel the next day.

"Because I am kept up by the noise, sometimes I fall back asleep and I miss my obligatory prayers."

Miah said he believed most venues in the area were compliant with the law - adding that he thought a lot of the fireworks were being set off in public.

"I don't blame the venues," he said. "People go to car parks and local supermarkets and set off fireworks there."

"We have spoken to the council and we know the advice is to report it to police," he added. "But by the time the police come and by the time everything is dealt with they're packed up and gone."

Faisal Mahmood, 36, also lives in Coppice and does shift work as a security guard.

He said the noise interrupted his already disrupted sleep pattern.

"My sleep is already messed up by doing shift work," he said.

"When I'm trying to get an early night ahead of an early morning shift and it hits midnight and the fireworks are non-stop it really impacts me," he said.

"There have been many times like this.

"It is inconsiderate."

Mahmood said he was often disturbed by the noise, as late as 01:00.

"I don't think the people setting them off know how often this is happening," he said.

Mahmood said the noise was a particular problem for his neighbour, who he said had children with autism.

"They wake up and she struggles to get them back to sleep," he said.

"There is a certain time and a way of doing things.

"It is not about not letting people celebrate or have their fun - it is the time that is the main issue."

"It needs to be stopped," he added. "But it is difficult to pinpoint who is doing it."

Oldham Council said their teams were working closely with partner organisations to help prevent these issues, including speaking to venues that use fireworks and inspecting businesses that sell them.

"We understand how frustrating and upsetting nuisance fireworks can be for residents, especially when they are being set off late at night," a spokesperson said.

"We are committed to tackling the problems they can cause, including noise, littering and anti-social behaviour."

They said teams had also visited wedding venues in the area and outlining the legislation.

"When action is needed, we will take it," they added.

"It is important that residents continue to report incidents of nuisance fireworks."

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