RESIDENTS are being urged to use a special hotline to report anyone selling or using fireworks illegally in Newport during the build up to Bonfire Night.

Trading Standards, Gwent Police, South Wales Fire Service and Newport city council are making the joint plea in a bid to tackle the problem of firework misuse.

Vandals last year used fireworks to blow up phone boxes and damage property in letterboxes. Rockets were also thrown at passing vehicles and put up exhaust pipes.

The agencies, in a joint initiative, are pledging to enforce new regulations that ban anyone under the age of 18 from buying fireworks or holding them in a public place.

The Fireworks Act, which came into force in August, also makes it illegal to use fireworks after 11pm on all days of the year apart from Bonfire Night, New Year's Eve and the Chinese New Year.

Phil Andrews, a senior community safety warden for the council, said: "At this time of year, it can be where the fun of fireworks ceases and anti-social behaviour begins. We would encourage anyone who sees fireworks abuse to report it to us.

"We are there to deal with general street nuisance but if fireworks are used to cause criminal damage we will inform the police.

"We will have 10 wardens and four vehicles out on Halloween and Bonfire Night and Newport police will be drafting in extra officers."

Mr Andrews said the council had 210 complaints about fireworks misuse last year between the beginning of October and November 16.

Somerton appeared to be the worst area this year, he said, with 22 complaints so far in October.

Sergeant Roger Booth, of the crime and disorder unit at Newport Central police, said: "We would ask everyone concerned this year to be careful and considerate and then hopefully we will not have to enforce the new laws."

The hotline number to contact, confidence, is 01633 222944.