Lewes Bonfire Night: Thousands flock to Covid-themed event

Up to 30,000 people have flocked to Lewes Bonfire Night, where effigies of Dominic Cummings and a masked Guy Fawkes went to the bonfire.

Covid was a theme among the effigies with former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and a representation of the plague also being thrown into the fire.

Crowds have previously reached 60,000, but this year officials asked people to attend local events.

Six arrests were made, one for assaulting an emergency worker.

One person was rescued after falling into the river.

Police said it was a "largely trouble-free night" after an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 people gathered for the event, which was not held last year.

Lewes resident Sarah Carpin posted pictures of a Covid effigy and wrote: "Covid was a big theme this year at #LewesBonfire - with Matt Hancock, Dominic Cummings and the plague itself being thrown on the bonfires."

Mick Symes, vice-chairman of Lewes Borough Bonfire Society, said the Covid-masked Guy Fawkes effigy had taken members two weeks to build.

He said: "He's been double-jabbed, he's got the coronavirus in his hand to give it a spank for not being allowed out last year. He's got his two barrels of gunpowder which have now been changed into a vaccine for this year."

Ch Supt Howard Hodges thanked people for behaving responsibly and said: "A very small and isolated minority of people chose to engage in crime and/or disorder but were dealt with effectively by our officers on the ground, minimising any disruption to the proceedings and helping us to keep people safe."

He said a clean-up operation took place afterwards to allow roads to reopen.

Lewes District Council posted on Twitter: "A huge THANK YOU! to the Environment First crew for their simply incredible work in clearing over 7 tonnes of waste from the streets of #Lewes last night!"

The hugely popular parade is organised by seven bonfire societies, many of which date to the 19th Century.

At the 2019 event, a figure of Boris Johnson urinating on newspapers was one of dozens of colourful effigies to be torched.

On Friday, police had warned of the potential dangers of fireworks after some were stolen from a bonfire site in the town.

The fireworks were taken from Landport recreation ground, where the Commercial Square Bonfire Society held its event.

After six cardboard boxes were stolen, Ch Supt Howard Hodges said: "These fireworks are more powerful than the average domestically purchased ones and should be used only by trained and responsible people."

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