TESTS have been carried out to make sure Bonfire Night goes off with a bang - but not too loudly.

Fireworks being sold to the public in the Middlesbrough area are being checked by trading standards officers to ensure they do not exceed 120 decibels.

New guidelines cover Class 3 fireworks, the largest on general sale, and have been introduced by the Government for the first time this year.

Checks were also carried out on the time of fuse delay between ignition and explosion, to ensure the person lighting the firework is able to reach the safe distance of 25 metres.

The testing took place at the trading standards test facility, Tees Valley Measurement, in Cannon Street, Middlesbrough, in the build-up to tomorrow's celebrations.

Middlesbrough Council trading standards manager John Wells said noise nuisance was something which needed dealing with.

"It's an anti-social thing," he said. "In the past, noise has been secondary to safety and although safety is still the major thing, the fireworks need to have less than 120 decibels and that will still pack a fair punch."

Coun Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for community safety, said: "We have long-standing reservations about explosive devices of this size being on open sale.

"As can be seen from the fireworks on test, nobody has a garden big enough to use these items safely.

"That said, we welcome the new noise controls as another small step in the right direction and we will use them to ensure that future celebrations remain within legal limits."