BOLTON MP David Crausby stepped up his battle to tighten fireworks legislation today by accepting a petition of nearly 30,000 signatures on the issue at the House of Commons.

He received the petition from the Director of the National Campaign for Fireworks Safety, Noel Tobin.

The campaign is calling for the licensing of firework displays, the licensing of more dangerous fireworks and a national training scheme for their use.

The petition -- signed by 28,452 people -- also wants more customs checks to stop dangerous fireworks being imported, regular swoops on illegal operators and an absolute block on the hoarding of tons of fireworks in private homes, which is currently legal.

Mr Crausby agrees with the campaign that the Victorian legislation controlling fireworks -- the 1875 Explosives Act -- urgently needs updating.

He said: "We need to change fireworks legislation and curb the inappropriate, indiscriminate and inconsiderate use of fireworks that causes unnecessary terror to both people and animals.

"I became involved nationally in campaigning for new controls on fireworks as a result of last year's Bolton Evening News' campaign on the issue.

"This Bill would stop a lot of the illegal activity which allows people to get hold of dangerous fireworks. These provisions are paramount if we are to begin to deal with the problem."

The BEN's campaign was a massive success. In just over one week we collected a staggering 3,500 names on a petition to get fireworks banned. It was the biggest reaction we had to any BEN campaign.

We handed over the 217 page petition to Bolton Council Leader Bob Haworth and his gave his personal support to the campaign.

Last year 1,056 people, mostly young, were treated in hospital for firework injuries in October and November, with another 327 hurt before the Millennium in December. Already an 18-year-old man has been killed after buying dangerous fireworks from the back of a van.