A quiet Merseyside village best known as the home of Stephenson's Rocket has spent two weekends under police dispersal orders after gangs of youths launched fireworks at moving vehicles and terrorised shopkeepers.
Merseyside Police introduced the latest dispersal zone in Rainhill from 4pm on Friday, October 16 until 4pm on Sunday, October 18, according to the Liverpool Echo. It was the second consecutive weekend the measure was imposed, with officers citing the misuse of fireworks by youths on both occasions.
<Village synonymous with railways now in the headlines for disorder
Rainhill, a conservation village steeped in railway history, has long been regarded as one of the safer corners of Merseyside. It is precisely that reputation, local councillors say, that makes the current spate of anti-social behaviour so jarring for residents.
Police said reports have included fireworks being set off in the street and fired at vehicles, eggs thrown at houses and cars, abuse shouted at residents and shop staff, criminal damage, and fighting. On the night of Sunday, October 11, a gang pushed several large bins down the stairs of Rainhill Station. The bins blocked the stairwell but, mercifully, did not fall onto the tracks.
Cllr James Tasker, one of the village's two independent councillors, said he initially doubted the station incident was real.
I woke up the next day and saw the post. I thought it might have been AI. With Rainhill, the issue is that, because it's generally seen as a safe place, when anti-social behaviour happens it is more notable.
He warned that the trouble tends to flare up every six to nine months, with fireworks and smashed shop windows recurring themes, and said the approach of dark nights and Bonfire Night had sharpened fears among residents and traders.
People are living in fear. Dark nights are coming in. With Rainhill, we've got a good local economy and people going out. The last thing they want to see is 20, 30 youths causing trouble.
'Like giving a gun and bomb to someone'
His colleague Cllr James Dunn, 38, who also works at the youth centre Reach Rainhill, has gone further and called for fireworks to be banned from general sale to the public. He said the fire service had visited the youth centre to warn young people about the dangers after fireworks were thrown in the area.
If they're put in the wrong hands, it's like giving a gun and bomb to someone. Fair enough if there are firework displays but there is no reason to sell to people what are essentially bombs. The kids agree with it.
The law already forbids the sale of adult fireworks, categories two and three, to anyone under 18, and bans setting off fireworks in the street or in public places between 11pm and 7am, with limited exemptions on Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year. The question hanging over Rainhill is why those laws are so rarely enforced before a village reaches the point of needing a dispersal zone.
Cllr Tasker was blunt about where responsibility lies.
We need to punish shops that sell these to children. If it's found adults are given them, it does ask questions as to where they are getting fireworks from.
Dispersal zones move the problem, they do not solve it
Both councillors praised local inspectors but questioned the value of dispersal orders, which give police powers to order troublemakers out of a designated area. Cllr Dunn noted that the zone simply pushes youths towards St Helens town centre rather than removing the problem, and complained that police had introduced the measure without first consulting the community.
Inspector Barry Scraggs of Merseyside Police defended the tactic, saying the force understood the fear, distress and risk caused to people who live, work and visit the area, and that officers would continue to deal with those responsible. He urged anyone with information to come forward via the force's social media desk, its website, or the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Similar scenes are being reported elsewhere in Britain. The Glasgow Times revealed that Patricia Ferguson, the MP for Glasgow West, told Parliament her office was receiving a great many representations about the anti-social use of fireworks, particularly in Knightswood. The Clydebank Post has also reported warnings over significantly more powerful fireworks reaching communities, distress to pets, and abuse directed at emergency services.
Industry says enforce the law, don't ban the product
The British Fireworks Association condemned the Rainhill incidents and called for tougher penalties for wilful misuse, stronger action against illegal sellers, and more resources for police and Trading Standards. Its chairman, Steve Raper, said the association has for several years wanted the minimum purchase age raised from 18 to 21, alongside a national safety campaign funded jointly by government and industry.
But he rejected an outright ban, pointing to the Republic of Ireland, where most fireworks cannot legally be sold to the public, yet enforcement officials seized more than 1.1 million fireworks worth over €2.2 million on Sunday, October 11, in a single trailer arriving by ferry from France.
Throwing fireworks at vehicles is already against the law, and banning fireworks for responsible families will not stop people determined to misuse them. The priority should be enforcing existing laws, tackling illegal supply and holding those responsible to account.
A boredom problem, and a warning for Bonfire Night
Cllr Dunn argued that at root the trouble reflects the hollowing out of provision for young people, and said the village's youth centre will open on Mischief Night with a climbing wall provided by the charity Vibe UK and extra detached youth workers on the streets.
This is not an anti-social behaviour problem, it's a boredom problem. Even the young people themselves are worried about this. They understand it's dangerous to them.
With Mischief Night and November 5 approaching, the test for Merseyside Police is whether order holds in Rainhill without repeated weekend lockdowns of village life. The test for the wider system is whether any shop caught selling fireworks to children actually loses its licence, or whether the law stays, as so often, a dead letter on the statute book.
FAQ
What happened in Rainhill?
Over two weekends in October 2026, youths in the Merseyside village of Rainhill launched fireworks at vehicles, threw eggs at houses, abused shop staff and caused criminal damage, prompting Merseyside Police to impose dispersal zones on consecutive weekends.
Is it illegal to set off fireworks in the street?
Yes. It is against the law to set off or throw fireworks, including sparklers, in the street or any public place, and adult fireworks cannot be sold to under-18s.
Who is calling for a firework ban?
Rainhill councillor James Dunn has called for a public ban on firework sales, while the British Fireworks Association argues existing laws should be enforced and the minimum purchase age raised to 21.