Unscrupulous shopkeepers have been selling banned fireworks to children as young as 13 in Bradford, trading standards officers have warned.

Shopkeepers and members of the public have been urged to be on the lookout following reports of children in Manningham being sold fireworks which have been outlawed in the UK for years.

And 46 packs of illegal mini-rockets – equating to 322 fireworks in total – were yesterday confiscated from a shop in Girlington following inspections from West Yorkshire Trading Standards officers.

Trading Standards chief officer Graham Hebblethwaite has urged retailers not to supply any outlawed fireworks, including bangers, air bombs and mini-rockets, and asked residents to report anyone they suspect of selling them.

He said “These fireworks pose a serious danger to members of the public and we are very concerned that they are still being supplied following the ban.

“Where we investigate examples of traders flouting the law, enforcement action will be taken.”

Bangers were banned outright in the UK in 1997 after they were used in a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

This was followed a few years later with bans on air bombs and restrictions on the dimensions of mini-rockets.

However, trading standards in Bradford have received complaints from consumers about the sale of these types of fireworks to children as young as 13, as well as reports from a Manningham school of children letting them off in the playground.

Officers also said counterfeit bangers have been found on the market in recent years, which has raised further concerns.

The bangers are sold in packs of ten and are generally described as being a small red tube with a short fuse on top.

A WYTS spokesman said: “It is certain that these are counterfeit products and as with other counterfeit goods, the bangers are likely to have been constructed from poor-quality materials and would fail to meet safety standards.

“When tested, the bangers were found to contain a type of flash powder that is more powerful, and louder, than normal.

“The inadvertent or deliberate misuse of these bangers could result in serious hand injury.”

Trading standards committee chairman Councillor Val Slater said: “Public safety is paramount. We want the bonfire period to be a time for fun and celebration. These illegal fireworks are attractive to a minority of people who want to cause anti-social behaviour and we are seeking to remove them from the market place.”

Anyone who suspects someone of selling illegal or counterfeit fireworks has been asked to call Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06.