PUBS in York are to be blitzed with beer mats and posters warning about the dangers of messing around with fireworks.

The Government drive is aimed at men and teenage boys who are most likely to handle fireworks at private parties.

Launching the Government's firework safety campaign, Consumer Minister Gerry Sutcliffe said: "We want to stop louts and vandals using fireworks to terrorise communities, making this year's firework season safer and more enjoyable for everyone."

Mr Sutcliffe said he wanted to discourage complacency among people who had previously used fireworks. He wanted to reduce the 1,140 firework injuries which occurred last year.

He said: "Fireworks are fun when used properly, but evidence shows that people can and do forget to follow the basic safety rules, particularly if they are fairly used to letting off fireworks.

"If people do become complacent, the results can be disastrous - so we are urging them to think of the consequences before someone is seriously injured.

"It is important to remember to be safe - not sorry."

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is also reminding people of new measures introduced to crack down on fireworks misuse.

These include curfews, a ban on under-18s having fireworks in the street and a maximum noise limit on certain fireworks.

Breaking the rules can lead to an £80 on-the-spot fine from the police. The most serious firework offences can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and six months in prison.

Mr Sutcliffe admitted that the prospect of a fireworks ban was not out of the question.

One of the posters in pub toilets will feature the image of a young man with a scarred face in a take-off of a magazine fashion page. The text reads: "Polo shirt from girlfriend £35; Sweatband, model's own £10; Headphones from Mum & Dad £50; Lifelong scars from messing around with Roman Candle £7.99".

Updated: 08:30 Monday, October 18, 2004