Firefighters were called out to fewer than half the number of bonfire-related incidents in Bradford compared to last year during what was expected to be the busiest spell of the year.

Crews throughout the Bradford district have been called to 35 incidents since last Thursday, compared to 88 in the same period, between November 1 and November 5, last year.

Jim Butters, Bradford district commander for West Yorkshire Fire Service, said yesterday he was not expecting the number to rise substantially last night, after the majority of displays had taken place over the weekend.

He said: “We are fully anticipating that the number could be significantly quieter even after tonight than we had last year.

“That’s testament really to the work we do with partners, from the education talks when we go into schools and talk about bonfire safety, to the street wardens and street cleansing teams which do a fantastic piece of work in making sure that any waste is cleared up that could be set fire to.

“We do a lot of work in inspecting firework retailers to make sure they are selling to the right people and we also go out to inspect bonfires.

“Going back probably five or ten years ago bonfire night was an extremely busy period, we were run off our feet, but the proactive steps we take now in the run-up to bonfire night really are worth their weight in gold.”

Meanwhile, Bradford Council wardens had been called out to fewer than 40 reports of fly-tipping from Monday, October 29, to yesterday afternoon.

Mike Powell, emergency planning manager at the council, said: “We’ve had 37 reports come through on the bonfire contact number since the end of October but they were mostly fly-tipping problems and they are all being dealt with.

“That figure is not high and we are pleased with the response from the public so far to our appeals not to leave rubbish around, causing hazards.”

A spokesman for Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary, said it had been very quiet up with no-one needing treatment for fireworks-related injuries up to yesterday .