Sainsbury's to stop selling fireworks over pet safety concerns

The supermarket giant will not sell fireworks this year, and said the decision had been made as part of a regular review of products.

Last year, a petition to ban the sale of "nuisance" fireworks attracted more than 307,000 signatures. It argued that a lot of fireworks were set off "unnecessarily" and served to scare animals, young children and people with a phobia.

In response, the Government said in a statement: "Government takes the issue of safety of fireworks very seriously. Legislation is in place to control their sale, use and misuse. We have no plans to change legislation."

Other major retailers, including Tesco, Morrisons and Asda, are expected to continue to sell the fireworks.

Many pet owners took to Twitter to congratulate the firm on their decision

The British Veterinary Association congratulated the chain on their decision, and said: "The loud noises & bright flashes can be extremely traumatic for pets, wildlife, horses & livestock, leading to serious injury in some cases."