As Britain marks the anniversary of the Guy Fawkes' gunpowder plot, the government has announced a raft of new regulations to control the sale of fireworks.

Under the measures, young people under 18 would be banned from possessing fireworks in public places, while the largest and most powerful rockets would be outlawed for all members of the public.

Malcolm Bruce, trade and industry spokesman, said: "We don't need a ban on fireworks, we need to crack down on the cowboy vendors.

"This means better regulation of what is safe to sell, to whom fireworks can be sold and where they can be used.

"We must not lose sight of the fact new laws must be about increasing safety and reducing nuisance, not regulating businesses out of existence."

Forum Response: The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Matt Grainger, public affairs manager at Guide Dogs, told ePolitix.com: "Guide Dogs has worked hard to support the introduction of regulations and we are extremely pleased that not only has the Fireworks Act come into being but that some regulations are being introduced as soon as they are.

"Regulations such as the introduction of a curfew are extremely important but equally as important are other elements of the Act such as a limit on noise levels, effective licensing of retailers and effective monitoring of imports.

"We would like to see these areas of legislation introduced at the earliest opportunity so that the current distress which many people and animals suffer as a result of fireworks can be minimised."

Forum Response: British Retail Consortium

Bill Moyes, director general of the BRC, told ePolitix.com: "Retailers take seriously the sale of all age restricted products. We comply with the laws that restrict the sale of fireworks and take measures to ensure that they are only sold to those entitled to use them.

"Stores also have their own voluntary codes of conduct and in response for a national proof of age card, the BRC has established PASS (the proof of age standards scheme).

"We support making the 'possession' of fireworks by under 18's an offence. We have always maintained that we can only take responsibility for fireworks until they are taken out of the shop.

"We are doing our best to tackle the anti-social behaviour but we cannot police the streets. We do not condone those rogue traders selling illegally and support the efforts of trading standards officers to address the problem.

"We shall continue to work closely with the DTI to regulate against misuse of fireworks and ensure that they can be enjoyed safely."