Lewes Madness

[Stewart96]

A 21-year-old man is recovering in hospital after being hit the chest by a stray rocket at one of the largest bonfire night celebrations in the country.

An estimated 40,000 people packed the narrow streets of Lewes in East Sussex to watch the historic celebrations.

The injured man suffered burns, fractured ribs and laceration to his lungs.

He was taken to hospital in Brighton for emergency chest surgery.

"He is extremely lucky to be alive after such a serious injury," said Dr Alan Pearce, one of six doctors and nurses working for the medical charity SIMCAS alongside the South-East Coast Ambulance and St John Ambulance services at the event.
'Very real danger'

"The Lewes bonfire celebrations are always a very busy time for the ambulance service and this incident highlights the very real dangers of fireworks."

Sussex Police described the evening, involving 400 officers, as "a huge success" overall and possibly "the biggest and best yet".

The event includes a procession through the town by local "bonfire societies".

Superintendent Tony Blaker said: "It is thought around 40,000 people attended this years event and I am delighted to report that there were only 23 arrests and no serious incidents."

The Ambulance service dealt with 127 individuals, including 14 that needed hospital treatment. A total of 23 arrests were made, most for drunken behaviour, possession of class C drugs and a couple of minor assaults.

 

[raymondbriggs]

A "Local Event for Local People only"
Inbred ooooze mud water drinkers only welcome.

 

[Mendoza]

I heard he is a Brighton fan and was meant to be at the Woking match

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

I heard he is a Brighton fan and was meant to be at the Woking match

You mean he didn't get to see the flare that was let off then? Shame, I am sure he would have appreciated the irony of how people think flares inside football grounds are a great idea...

 

[Guy Fawkes]

From what i have read and heard about this incident the person injured was a part of one of the societies fireworks display teams (commercial square)

He went upto a part of their display which had failed to go off and as he and another person got there, it then went off.

Hopefully the person involved will make a full and speedy recovery

 

[tedebear]

Fireworks are dangerous. It could have happened anywhere to be fair.

 

[beorhthelm]

ouch. must have been a substantial rocket to fracture ribs. which fire site or was it away from displays?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

From what i have read and heard about this incident the person injured was a part of one of the societies fireworks display teams (commercial square)

He went upto a part of their display which had failed to go off and as he and another person got there, it then went off.

Hopefully the person involved will make a full and speedy recovery

Indeed. He wasn't a member of the public. He was investigating a fault with the electronic fusing.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

A "Local Event for Local People only"
Inbred ooooze mud water drinkers only welcome.

Have you ever been to Lewes, do you know how big the town is and how narrow the streets are? currently the towns population is about 15k, the event usually gets about 70 - 80k watching despite efforts to prevent spectators coming into town

So do you think it would be a good idea to then have several thousand more people on top of the crowds they already get? - If there was plenty of space to accomodate a large crowd then i'm sure there would be no limitation to outside visitors, but the reality means that controls on crowd numbers are required for safety

 

[raymondbriggs]

You mean he didn't get to see the flare that was let off then? Shame, I am sure he would have appreciated the irony of how people think flares inside football grounds are a great idea...

rockets shoot a distance and are largely unpredictable.
The distress flares lit by Woking were Hand Flares designed to be held in the hand of boat crew standing on the deck of a wooden vessel.
Hardly the same thing.

 

[Guy Fawkes]

ouch. must have been a substantial rocket to fracture ribs. which fire site or was it away from displays?

Commercial Squares firesite, he was a part of the display team

 

[1066familyman]

Sussex Police described the evening, involving 400 officers, as "a huge success" overall and possibly "the biggest and best yet".

Superintendent Tony Blaker said: "It is thought around 40,000 people attended this years event and I am delighted to report that there were only 23 arrests and no serious incidents."

The Ambulance service dealt with 127 individuals, including 14 that needed hospital treatment. A total of 23 arrests were made, most for drunken behaviour, possession of class C drugs and a couple of minor assaults.

Hmmm, with figures like that, it does indeed sound like.... " a huge success "

 

[Guy Fawkes]

The Ambulance service dealt with 127 individuals, including 14 that needed hospital treatment. A total of 23 arrests were made, most for drunken behaviour, possession of class C drugs and a couple of minor assaults.

Why did the ambulance service arrest 23 people, surely that would have been the Police's job?

 

[1066familyman]

Why did the ambulance service arrest 23 people, surely that would have been the Police's job?

So that Sussex Police could note it down as... "a huge success"

 

[raymondbriggs]

Have you ever been to Lewes, do you know how big the town is and how narrow the streets are? currently the towns population is about 15k, the event usually gets about 70 - 80k watching despite efforts to prevent spectators coming into town

So do you think it would be a good idea to then have several thousand more people on top of the crowds they already get? - If there was plenty of space to accomodate a large crowd then i'm sure there would be no limitation to outside visitors, but the reality means that controls on crowd numbers are required for safety

Although I am no stranger to Lewes I have never been,or inclined, to visit, a Lewes Bonfire "celebration".
Lewes people are "special" and have never embraced the opportunity to share the "experience" and as such I am happy to let them engage in anti Papery without my company.

Inbreds do as inbreds will,I blame the muck from the brewery.

Bridgewater Somerset does the whole thing so much better.

 

[Harry H]

He got off lightly.Many a Witch was burned in wierd old Lewes.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Hmmm, with figures like that, it does indeed sound like.... " a huge success "

Many of those needing treatment will have been of the "passed out drunk" variety, or trips and falls in the crowd. Out of 40,000 people, it's hardly out of the ordinary.

 

[raymondbriggs]

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[Uncle C]

The Lewes celebrations are timid compared to say 40 years ago. In those days rookies (rook scarers) were thrown amonst the crowds and Roman candles fired down the roads between people's legs.

Bunch of pansies today

 

[Guy Fawkes]

Although I am no stranger to Lewes I have never been,or inclined, to visit, a Lewes Bonfire "celebration".
Lewes people are "special" and have never embraced the opportunity to share the "experience" and as such I am happy to let them engage in anti Papery without my company.

Inbreds do as inbreds will,I blame the muck from the brewery.

Bridgewater Somerset does the whole thing so much better.

So your whole opinion is based on guesswork about how busy the town is on the night and the assumption that they could fit thousands more people into the narrow raods on the procession routes - shows just how ill informed you are.

The map below shows the main area that the spectators will line the streets, it's a relatively small area with limited capacity which is already stretched, so do you honestlyy think it would be a good idea to advertise it nationally and encourage more visitors on the night?

Would you rather have everyone able to attend and people getting badly hurt in the crush because at least then it wouldn't be seen as a local event or should all of the local population be thrown out of town so that people from miles away can come to watch