A Bradford fireworks company has had its explosives storage licence revoked following an investigation by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority unanimously agreed on Friday, October 16, 2026, to revoke the licence held by Top Shotter Fireworks Ltd for premises at 53 Westgate, Bradford.
The decision followed an investigation after information was received concerning social media content associated with the business.
Under Regulation 23 of the Explosives Regulations 2014, a licensing authority can revoke an explosives storage licence if information obtained after a licence was granted leads it to consider that the licence holder is no longer a fit person to store explosives.
Licence holder given chance to respond
Before making its decision, the Fire Authority considered evidence gathered by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service together with written and oral representations submitted on behalf of Top Shotter Fireworks Ltd.
Representatives of the company attended a meeting with the fire service in September to respond to the concerns and make further representations.
After considering the evidence and the company’s representations, Fire Authority members unanimously decided the licence should be revoked.
The revocation will come into effect at 4pm on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Chris Kemp, Senior Fire Protection Manager at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the storage of fireworks was a highly regulated activity.
He said licence holders had significant responsibilities and that the evidence in this case had been carefully considered, with the company given an opportunity to respond.
“Our role is ultimately about protecting the public and ensuring that those licensed to store explosives can be relied upon to do so responsibly and in accordance with the law,” he said.
The Fire Authority’s statement does not disclose the specific social media content which led to the investigation or explain in detail what conduct prompted the revocation.
