THERE will be no repeat of the controversial York fireworks display which left more than 10,000 people disappointed, council chiefs have confirmed.

Leisure and heritage boss Coun Keith Orrell said the November 5 display - to mark the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot - would not be back.

Last week, the Evening Press reported on the shambolic build-up to the 2005 fireworks display, revealing that police repeatedly warned council bosses of their serious safety fears before the display was staged.

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that only a day before the fireworks were launched from St Peter's School, in Clifton, North Yorkshire Police events officer Paul Maloney claimed the impact on the city's highways had not been properly assessed or managed.

Ambulance and fire chiefs had earlier raised concerns with one warning there was the "potential for chaos to ensue". Many people were unable to see the display as they gathered at York Minster and huge crowds gathered on Lendal Bridge, bringing traffic to a halt. Similar scenes were witnessed at Clifford's Tower, but City of York Council originally said the event had been a success.

Now Coun Orrell has confirmed the anniversary event was a "one-off".

"There are no plans for a repeat," he said.

"The event was for the 400th anniversary and, aside from that, there have not been fireworks displays for more than ten years. It is not something that was ever envisaged."

Coun Ruth Potter, Labour environment spokeswoman, and one of the biggest critics of the "fireworks farce" said the 400th display would be remembered as "an opportunity missed".

"If it had been successful it would have been quite nice to do it (again in 2006)," she said.

"It is just a shame they (Lib Dems) made such a mess of it.

"It was the 400th anniversary. If it had gone well people would have remembered it for a very long time. But their track record isn't very good. It's just one thing after another."

Updated: 09:06 Saturday, January 07, 2006