Two men have been handed community service after admitting selling fireworks they were not licenced to stock in Lichfield.

Iain Crow, 38, of Norfolk Way in Nuneaton, and 39-year-old Paul Lyon of Nuthurst Crescent in Nuneaton, pleaded guilty to eight offices for breaching the Explosives Regulations 2014 and one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Both were given 12 month community orders with a requirement to complete 200 hours of unpaid work each. They were also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £1,211.

The court case came after trading standards officers visited Elite Fireworks on Tudor Row in Lichfield city centre in October and November.

Cllr Gill Heath, from Staffordshire County Council, said: “We know the devastating effects of not storing fireworks correctly and by breaching safety regulations, this store put members of the public and employees at risk.

“It is vital that businesses selling fireworks act responsibly, storing them safely and holding the correct licence.

“We are pleased with the results of both cases. The trading standards team makes every effort to keep people safe in the run-up to the firework season each year.”

The fireworks seized were later destroyed.

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