Fireworks (3)

I cannot agree more with Pamela Hansen's article on petards (The Sunday Times, August 20). These colourless, noisy emissions prove very disturbing for the sick, dying, elderly, children and animals.

Yes... they prove rather menacing to little children who, summer after summer, go through the trauma of having to put up with these frightening explosions. Every year without fail, fun days at the beach are ruined when the clock strikes midday (and three... and four... etc.) and petard perpetrators start their little show.

Suddenly, a relaxed, fun-packed day at the beach turns into a scene of shuddering little bodies running to seek refuge in a relative's comforting bosom. I understand that those responsible feel the unexplainable desire to risk their health and safety on such a hobby but it's not fair that our children must suffer along with them.

They made their choice; the rest of us, especially our children, haven't. It's high time something is done about this problem. Our children are growing up to view village feasts as something sinister. In the words of my two-year-old cousin: "go away festa, go away boom booms, we don't like you".