RESIDENTS of a Kent village, fed up with the constant bang of fireworks, have presented a petition to the House of Commons calling for a total ban of over the counter sales.

The 750-signature document was collected by Jess Southerton, one fo the villagfers at Hartley, near Gravesend, after a spate of accidents and incidents in the village.

Mrs Southerton said: "This year has been the worst ever year for fireworks going on for days and days. It is not just one day. You could cope with that."

She said that as well as incidents that have included a window being broken and a lady being hit on the leg, people are fed up with the constant noise which was destroying people's quality of life"

The petition was started in November and has since received support from most residents in the village. Mrs Southerton said: "The vast majority agreed that a total ban on the sale of fireworks to the public was a good idea - and far easier to enforce than the regulations we have in place now."

Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate supported the residents taking the names to Westminster.

He said: "It's clear though from this petition that many people in this area want to see the Government go further and ban the sale of fireworks altogether to anyone who isn't a properly trained and licensed firework operator.

"People are fed up with the amount of noise and nuisance which fireworks are causing and feel that a total ban is the only sure way of preventing firework related accidents and maintaining their peace and quiet."

Mrs Southerton said: "If 96 per cent of people in this small village support banning it there must be strong feeling across the whole county."