The devastating effects of fireworks on animals: A horse spooked to death and the campaign to change Bonfire Night
Pet owners are gearing up for a stressful time for both themselves and their animals as fireworks season begins.
With bonfire night and Diwali in October and November, followed not long afterwards by New Year’s Eve, there is little respite from the bangs and vibrations that can have devastating effects on animals.
People suffer as well as pets, Julie Doorne from Firework Campaign UK told Sky News.
Pet owners will avoid leaving their animals at home alone for months on end, or use up annual leave to take them away.
“People’s lives change” due to fireworks, she said.
The campaign wants an end to private fireworks. Ms Doorne says they’re not trying to cancel Bonfire Night or any other celebrations – but they want displays licenced and kept a certain distance from animals.
Jade, with Liberty and Emma after her fall
‘I will never see her again’
Liberty, an 18-year-old from Winterbourne, has recently lost her horse Jade due to fireworks.
Jade was Liberty’s therapy horse, who helped her with anxiety, and was a gift from her friend Emma.
“Jade taught me everything. My first canter, my first gallop, she gave me the confidence in everything,” Liberty said.
“She knew when I was upset. If she heard me cry she would stand over me. When I was feeling down she would nudge me. She knew when I was at my lowest.”
In October, Jade got spooked by a firework that was let off near the field she was in.
She ran and hurt her back legs in the process. Despite Liberty trying to get her up, it was clear she wasn’t going to.
“She tried but she didn’t have the strength and in the end, she gave up,” Liberty said.
Jade had to be put to sleep.
Liberty said: “My heart is ripped apart. She was my best friend and soulmate.
“I will always remember the lowest of my days when she wouldn’t leave my side … I have no words but heartache and tears.”
“I want the whole world to know that Jadey was my life.”
Liberty wants to see a ban on setting off fireworks around livestock.
Jade would have “been here today if it wasn’t for the firework,” Liberty said.
“I will never see her again.”
Nala gets very distressed around fireworks
‘Driving to the middle of the New Forest for quiet’
Rosemary, from Hampshire, has a 10-year-old horse called Rolo – and Nala, an 11-year-old working cocker spaniel.
To prepare Rolo for the fireworks, Rosemary plans to put boots on him to stop him from kicking himself and keep him in his stable.
This is the first fireworks season she’s experienced with Rolo, so she plans to “take a leap of faith” and hope he copes well.
But Nala gets very distressed.
“She barks to the point that one New Year’s Eve I drove out to the middle of the New Forest to get her as far away from the noise as possible,” Rosemary said.
She added she is forced to change her routine when she knows there may be fireworks.
“I can’t leave her on the weekend of Bonfire Night. I will always be making a decision on ‘If we go out, can I take her?’ – but we have to endure it when it’s unexpected.”
Nelly the Boston, with her cat sisters Poppy and Pixie
‘We’re worried the stress will shorten her life’
Matt Wilke, 36, from northwest London, has a Boston terrier called Nelly, and two cats, Pixie and Poppy.
All three are rescues from South Africa, and he said the journey to bring them to the UK during the pandemic was nowhere near as stressful as fireworks are for them.
“Pixie becomes incredibly skittish and just about hyperventilates. It is absolutely horrible seeing a cat having what looks like an asthma attack and being very frightened,” he explained.
Poppy does her best to try to hide, which is worrying because “she tries squeezing herself into the smallest of spaces and we’re always so worried she will hurt herself”.
Mike also worries Poppy will “get stuck somewhere or – in a panic to find somewhere – get out and run without any idea of where she’s trying to go”.
Nelly becomes very needy, constantly vigilant and frightened of going outside.
Matt said the effects on Nelly can last for days after the fireworks have stopped.
“This undue stress simply isn’t good for her and we’re constantly worried that the stress, especially as she gets older, could shorten her life.”
Pip, an elderly dog with a fragile heart
Jane has an elderly dog called Pip.
Pip “has been petrified of fireworks all his life”, she said.
Jane added: “Every year we spend about two weeks around bonfire night unable to sleep until late as he needs comforting because he gets so worked up and frightened when he hears them going off.
“We are dreading this year as he now has a heart condition which means he collapses if he gets highly stressed or excited.
“So we feel we have no alternative but to drive us all out into the country for a few hours to get away from the relentless sound of bombs going off.
“If we don’t I fear he will have a heart attack.”
Messi was so scared by fireworks he woudn’t go outside
Could Australian-style ban work in the UK?
Dog owner Jane Price recalled stressful bonfire nights with her Cairn terrier Messi.
“He would bark and get very upset,” she said.
“He wouldn’t even go outside, he was worried there was going to be another bang.”
Ms Price is originally from Australia, where there’s a ban on members of the public buying fireworks.
There’s merit to that rule, she said.
In the UK, fireworks can be sold between 15 October and 10 November for Bonfire Night and from 26 to 31 December for New Year celebrations.
They can also be sold in the three days leading up to Chinese New Year and Diwali.
But many pet owners would welcome Australian-style restrictions in the UK.
Cody gets very agitated and scared when she hears the loud bangs of fireworks
‘It’s really difficult to calm and console’
Another concerned animal lover – Di – told Sky News her border collie cross, Cody, is “absolutely terrified” of fireworks.
“This appears to be getting worse as she grows older,” Di said.
She added: “Her reaction to them is to bark continuously, pant and pace and it is really difficult to calm and console her.
“This reaction can continue for a good while after the fireworks have subsided.”
Vet says fireworks ‘totally cruel’ to animals
The run-up to bonfire night and New Year’s Eve sees a surge of people seeking sedatives for their pets, a north London vet told Sky News.
“One month before firework night, people are coming in one after the other to get calming remedies for their pets,” she says.
Fireworks displays are “totally cruel” to animals, who have “very sensitive hearing”, she added.
“They’re put under stress and anxiety that can sometimes cause illnesses like alopecia from over-grooming themselves due to stress.”
About 14 million people in the UK attend organised firework displays each year, according to the British Pyrotechnics Association – but that number does not include fireworks set off in private gardens and fields across the country.
These displays are the real problem, according to some pet owners.
Call for organised fireworks events only
Sophie Gannon’s dog Barclay is “petrified by the noise” and “shakes” on hearing fireworks.
“I don’t think they should sell fireworks at all. I think it should just be organised events only,” she tells Sky News.
The RSPCA receives about 400 calls from concerned pet owners every bonfire night, and in 2019 launched its Bang Out Of Order campaign, calling for changes to firework laws.
It wants the sale of fireworks restricted to between 29 October and 5 November and a reduction of the maximum noise level of fireworks from 120 decibels to 90 decibels.
The animal charity has also called for the implementation of firework control zones, prohibiting fireworks near animal habitats, farms and zoos.
The charity’s research shows 73% of adults polled think firework control zones should be introduced and 75% think the firework sale period should be limited.
What are the rules as they stand?
The Animal Welfare Act does not extend to protecting animals from the effects of fireworks.
While it prohibits “any unnecessary suffering to a captive or domestic animal”, if fireworks are let off legally, their use would not be considered unreasonable.
Scotland’s fireworks laws changed in June, giving councils the power to designate Firework Control Zones where it would be illegal to set off fireworks. The impact on animals is one reason why a council could grant a control zone.
In Northern Ireland, anyone who wants to buy, possess, and use fireworks (except indoor fireworks and sparklers) must have a valid fireworks licence.
In 2019, the House of Commons petition committee published a report on fireworks after more than 750,000 people signed a petition demanding a change to the laws.
In response, the government agreed to coordinate a major public awareness campaign, but stopped short of accepting recommendations – including introducing decibel limits and empowering local councils to enforce firework permits.
Another petition calling for tougher regulations gained more than 15,000 signatures in advance of this year’s Bonfire Night.
The government responded by saying it has “no plans to ban the sale of fireworks to the public but continues to monitor the situation”.
A government spokesperson added: “We believe the majority of individuals use fireworks safely and appropriately.
“The government understands that people want to enjoy fireworks. We believe that the legislative framework controlling fireworks strikes the right balance and we have no plans to replace it at this time.”
The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has been sentenced to 10 and a half years after he admitted accepting tens of thousands of pounds in cash to make pro-Russian statements to the media and European Parliament.
Nathan Gill had “abused a position of significant authority and trust” and was “motivated by financial and political gain”, said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb during remarks at the Old Bailey on Friday.
Gill, 52, of Anglesey, North Wales, had previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019, corresponding to his time as an MEP.
Nathan Gill is surrounded by media as he arrives at the Old Bailey. Pic: PA
The Old Bailey heard his activities were linked to pro-Russian statements about Ukraine while he was a member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and subsequently the Brexit Party.
Following an investigation by counter-terrorism police, officers said they believe Gill likely took a minimum of £40,000 in cash and was offering to introduce other British MEPs so they could be bribed. Officers also said they believed some individuals in this case had a direct link to Vladimir Putin.
Nathan Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery. Pic: Met Police
Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC previously told the court the bribery offences related to Gill’s association with pro-Russian Oleg Voloshyn, who had been a Ukrainian government official before 2014 and was sanctioned by the UK in 2022.
Gill’s activities emerged in WhatsApp messages after he was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021.
He was about to board a flight to Russia to be an observer in elections there.
Bundles of cash recovered
Police said the messages revealed Voloshyn had tasked Gill to make pro-Russian statements on a reward basis. Counter-terrorism officers said the text of some speeches was provided to Gill, which he delivered almost word-for-word.
In other cases, he was paid to offer commentary to news outlets, such as the pro-Russian media organisation 112 Ukraine.
A search of his home in Wales also uncovered thousands in euros and dollars.
Bundles of cash were recovered from Gill’s home. Pic: Met Police
Pic: Met Police
Greed ‘primary motivation’
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, described Gill as being motivated by money.
“It appears… greed was his primary motivation. But I think there’s an element of him that had a pro-Russian stance as well, but only he can answer that question, to be honest with you, he never told us that.”
Gill was interviewed in March 2022 and made no comment. He was charged and appeared in court in February 2025.
Gill said no comment when interviewed by officers in 2022. Pic: Met Police
‘A grave betrayal of trust’
During sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described Gill’s offending as “sophisticated” and “a grave betrayal of the trust vested in you by the electorate”.
She told him: “You accepted payments from foreign nationals, made statements on important international matters at their behest, utilised scripted material presented as your own, and orchestrated the involvement of other MPs.
“Your misconduct has ramifications far beyond personal honour, which is now irretrievably damaged. It erodes public confidence in democracy when politicians succumb to financial inducement.”
Gill was paid to offer commentary to pro-Russian media outlet, 112 Ukraine. Pic: Met Police
Other UK politicians at risk
Commander Murphy said that police were continuing to investigate other MEPs, including some from the UK.
“What we do know from the conversations with [Oleg] Voloshyn is that Nathan Gill actually offered his services to contact other MEPs, mostly UK MEPs, to also make statements that might be supportive of a Russian position in Ukraine,” he said.
He added: “I do believe that some of the individuals in this case do have direct connections to Vladimir Putin. And I have no doubt that if we were able to, we could follow this trail and it would lead straight to Moscow.”
Commander Dominic Murphy believes greed was Gill’s primary motivation
Gill led the Welsh wing of UKIP between 2014 and 2016 and was a member of the Senedd between 2016 and 2017.
He was an MEP between 2014 and 2020, but left UKIP in 2019 to join Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party – later Reform UK.
Political fallout after prison term
Police have confirmed Nigel Farage has not been part of this investigation, but political rivals have called on the Reform UK leader to launch a thorough investigation.
Defence minister Al Carns, a former colonel in the Royal Marines, said Gill’s actions were “a disgrace”. He added: “I just think wherever we see Russian influence in UK politics, it’s got to be weeded out.”
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Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said “a traitor was at the very top of Reform UK”, referring to Gill, but also launched a direct attack on Mr Farage by calling him, and his party, “a danger to national security”.
“Nigel Farage himself was previously paid to be on Putin’s TV channel, Russia Today, and said he was the world leader he admires the most.
“We must all ask – where do his loyalties really lie? We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics,” he said.
Reform UK, which previously kicked Gill out of the party, said in a statement: “Mr Gill’s actions were reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable. We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received.”
Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, welcomed Gill’s jail sentence “for his acts of betrayal in taking bribes from Russia”.
In a statement, she said: “If the former Reform UK leader in Wales was part of a broader, co-ordinated effort to advance Moscow’s agenda within our democratic institutions, then the public deserves to know the full truth, and how far Russian money and influence reached into Nigel Farage’s inner circle.”
Britons buying cocaine on a Friday night could be inadvertently funding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The National Crime Agency has revealed a billion-dollar money laundering network is operating in 28 towns and cities across the UK.
Couriers collect “dirty” cash generated from drugs, firearms and immigration gangs, which is then converted into cryptocurrency.
Officials say these illicit transactions have a direct link to “geopolitical events causing suffering around the world”.
This network was first exposed because of Operation Destabilise – and to date, 128 arrests have been made, with more than £25m in cash and digital assets seized.
A poster put up in motorway service station toilets by the NCA. Pic: PA
According to the NCA, the enterprise is so prolific that it purchased a bank to facilitate payments that supported Russia’s military efforts and helped sidestep sanctions.
Posters have been put up in motorway service stations to target couriers, which warn it is “just a matter of time” before they will be arrested.
The NCA’s deputy director for economic crime, Sal Melki, has warned the threat posed by this money laundering network is significant.
He added: “Cash couriers play an intrinsic role in this global scheme. They are in our communities and making the criminal ecosystem function – because if you cannot profit from your crimes, why bother.
“They are paid very little for the risks they take and face years in prison, while those they work for enjoy huge profits.”
Mr Melki went on to warn that “easy money leads to hard time” – and earning just a few hundred pounds through laundering could lead to years behind bars.
Sal Melki
The NCA says Operation Destabilise has already had an impact in criminal circles, with some members of the network now reluctant to operate in London.
Those involved in the money laundering effort have also started to charge higher fees – reflecting the difficulty of cleaning ill-gotten gains.
Cryptocurrencies are often regarded as a haven for criminals because they are perceived to be anonymous, but it is possible to trace these transactions.
Chainalysis is a company that monitors suspicious activity on blockchains, a type of database that keeps records of who sends and receives digital assets – as well as how much.
Its vice president of communications Madeleine Kennedy told Sky News: “Public blockchains are transparent by design, which makes cryptocurrencies a poor vehicle for money laundering.
“With the right tools, law enforcement can trace illicit funds – whether they’re connected to drug trafficking, sanctions evasion, or cybercrime – and use those insights to disrupt networks and recover assets.”
Read more:
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Crypto scammer jailed after UK’s biggest Bitcoin bust
Ekatarina Zhdanova. Pic: NCA
Last December, a global investigation led by the NCA smashed two networks whose money laundering activities were prevalent in 30 countries.
Bundles of cash were seized during raids, with detectives describing Smart and TGR as the invisible link between “Russian elites, crypto-rich cybercriminals and drug gangs in the UK”.
One of the network’s ringleaders, a Russian national called Ekatarina Zhdanova, is currently in custody in France and awaiting trial for separate financial offences.
Security minister Dan Jarvis added: “This complex operation has exposed the corrupt tactics Russia used to avoid sanctions and fund its illegal war in Ukraine.
“We are working tirelessly to detect, disrupt and prosecute anyone engaging in activity for a hostile foreign state. It will never be tolerated on our streets.”
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