Guy Fawkes city snubs fireworks

Guy Fawkes was schooled in York

The city where Guy Fawkes is believed to have been born will not hold a public fireworks display after the council said it was too expensive.

It is the fourth year that no official free fireworks display has been held in York.

The city council said a previous public consultation had shown residents felt the money could be better spent.

Tourism chiefs said they were keen to see a Guy Fawkes Festival held in the city.

The last time the council staged an event was in 2005 to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot, in which Guy Fawkes was a main protagonist.

Tourism potential

Charlie Croft, from York City Council, said a previous public consultation had asked residents whether large fireworks displays, which cost about £70,000, were good value for money.

He said: "People felt on balance it wasn't worth the money so the council has honoured it and stuck with the decision."

John Yeomans, chairman of Visit York, said: "Guy Fawkes is an enormously valuable potential for tourism in York and it would be wonderful if we could exploit that.

"At the moment we can't do that with public funding. I would like to find a way to try and do it involving the private sector."

Guy Fawkes was the only son of Edward and Edith Fawkes, both of York.

As a youngster he was a pupil at St Peter's School in the city.

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The last time the council held a fireworks event was in 2005