THERE’S a ‘knee jerk’ part of me that is more than happy to back the demand - debated in Parliament this week - to ban the sale of fireworks to the public.

The more so given the fact that this year my dog was so scared by a sudden explosion of rockets, bangers and the rest when we were out for our early evening walk, that she took off, pulled me a quarter of a mile home without stopping, and spent the rest of the evening saucer-eyed and shaking on the settee.

Foolhardy perhaps, to walk her at around 6.30pm - but this was November 10, a full five days after Bonfire Night and a week after the weekend that immediately preceded it.

Three weeks on, my anger has receded somewhat, to the point where I probably wouldn’t back a ban, were one on offer.

Newport East MP Jessica Morden spoke eloquently during the aforementioned debate, describingd a “destructive minority” who use the fireworks season to “cause misery for the public at large”.

Spot on. These are the idiots who throw lighted fireworks under moving vehicles, post them through letterboxes, throw them at each other ‘for a laugh’, oblivious to the danger to others.

They are the sort of people whose heads are so empty of basic common sense and respect for the world around them, that they are beyond help.

But they are a minority. The majority who buy fireworks set them off for the entertainment of family and friends in their gardens or yards on Bonfire Night or a day before or after. It would be harsh indeed, to punish them for the actions of the mindless few.

A November 4-6 time limit on such displays would be ideal, but impossible to police.

So maybe its time to take the bang out of fireworks. Quiet and silent fireworks exist. Why can’t these become the norm, rather than the exception?