The volunteer crew at Burnham-on-Crouch RNLI has issued a warning to residents ahead of anticipated celebrations for Bonfire Night this weekend.

In a statement, Burnham RNLI said: "We don't want to spoil the fun of Bonfire Night but please don't be tempted to use flares instead of fireworks.

"Flares are a universally recognised distress signal and a vital piece of safety equipment for those at sea, so please don't fire them in non-distress situations.

"If you see one you should always call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

"Our volunteer crews are always ready to answer that call because we will always assume it's for real.

"Please don't put our crews' lives in danger to respond to what they think might be a genuine cry for help."

Residents are being warned ahead of planned celebrations this weekend, with the Great Burnham Bonfire finally returning to the town tomorrow (Saturday 6 November), after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

The display is being held at St Mary's Church, on Church Road, where gates will open to attendees at 6pm - the bonfire will be lit at around 6.30pm and fireworks will follow shortly after.

You can find out more about the work of Burnham-on-Crouch RNLI via its Facebook page here.