The National Safety Council (NSC) has warned parents against allowing their children to construct bonfires at Hallowe'en. The NSC issued its warning as part of National Fire Prevention Week, which runs until November 2nd.
The NSC advises parents to dissuade their children from bonfire-making or, if bonfires are being allowed, to ensure that they are supervised by adults. The warning follows a number of injuries to children and damage to property in recent years from bonfires.
If bonfires are being allowed, they should be kept under control and located away from buildings, trees and overhead cables. Petrol or paraffin should not be used to start fires.
The NSC also calls on parents to supervise trick-ortreating by children, since it can frighten and disturb older people.
Parents have also been warned of the dangers of black plastic sacking, used by children in imitation of vampire cloaks.
The sacking does not burn but will melt in heat, and the molten plastic can adhere to a child's skin, causing severe burns.