NORTH Ayrshire Council has issued a warning to those considering contributing to an 'illegal bonfire' on Guy Fawkes Night.

The authority is looking to remind residents that permission is required for anyone to host an event on council land.

It comes after a motion was passed at a full council meeting in June meaning that firework displays and bonfire festivities taking place on council land would need prior consent.

In the absence of permission, anyone depositing materials for burning on council-owned property would be liable to a fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping and a fee for the removal of fly-tipped items.

Use of land owned and operated by NAC for this purpose must be submitted a minimum of eight-weeks prior to the anticipated use of the site.

This means that any applications submitted for this year's Bonfire Night at this stage would not have enough time to obtain prior consent.

Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and economy, is now urging all those wishing to attend celebrations to ensure such events are "organised and official".

He said: “Bonfire night is always a hugely anticipated one for families across North Ayrshire and we want everyone to enjoy an enjoyable evening in a safe environment.

“The last thing we want to do is spoil anybody’s fun but we have to be responsible and consider everyone in our approach.

"That’s why we felt that a permit scheme was necessary so that we could monitor what was happening on our land and make sure any display would be safe for people attending. It must be remembered that fireworks can be dangerous if not treated correctly.

“It can also be a massive stretch on our resources cleaning up after an event that has not been managed correctly and this is something we have to take into consideration as well.

“We would urge people to check out our social media channels for details of organised and official events.”