Queensbury residents kept awake by loud fireworks for nine days in a row were told that the authorities were powerless to help.

Lisa Walsh of Calder Gardens, off Beverley Drive, said she was looking forward to a good night's sleep, something she and her neighbours were deprived of during the recent Diwali celebrations.

But despite calls to Brent Council and the police, nothing was done to stop the fireworks which Lisa said kept everyone awake from October 17 to 26.

Lisa said she appreciated that the people concerned were celebrating a religious festival, but she complained because the noisy fireworks were keeping her young children awake.

"It was like D-Day out there," she said on the first day of respite since the festivities began. "I've got two children, aged 16 months and nine years, it kept them up.

"It's not doing very much for community relations as tempers have been flaring. It's like a war was going on outside our door."

But a council spokesman said it was virtually powerless to do anything.

"The council's powers to act are fairly limited," he said. "If a firework is let off, by the time we arrive , it's gone. Fireworks are pretty expensive so sustained noise is unlikely anyway."

He added that if residents could pinpoint where the noise was coming from and at what time, a statutory nuisance order could be served, but that this was unlikely.

"It's ridiculous," said Lisa. "We pay taxes to the council so they can protect us from things like this and stamp out anti-social behaviour."

o See letters, page 8

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