Many people walking past the Albert Bridge on Monday evening saw the Thames lit up by a barrage of fireworks and flares that covered the bridge and landed on nearby boats, churches and trees.
A group set London’s Albert Bridge ablaze with a chaotic cacophony of fireworks and bright red and yellow flares last night, in chaotic and dangerous scenes that saw the explosives cascade onto the key route across the River Thames.
The Metropolitan Police and London Fire Brigade were called to the scene of the incident, which happened around 11pm on Monday night. Passers-by walking across the historic bridge were left baffled by the scene of chaotic fireworks and flares, unsure what people were celebrating.
In videos shared on social media, rockets can be seen landing on the Uber boat, as well as on nearby buildings. One eyewitness said he saw rockets landing all around him, while a tree appeared to catch fire and other rockets landed on the roof of a nearby church and on parked cars, in scenes that could have easily caused a massive fire.
Some thought the bright red and yellow fireworks could be a belated celebration by Spain fans after their Euro win, with England’s defeat in the final still fresh in their minds. Passers-by said they heard chants as the rockets were launched and the fireworks were fired “in all directions”.
There was no official celebration as the Albert Bridge was set alight with fireworks, forcing some to dodge flares and sparks as they crossed the river. It remains unclear who the members of the private group who set off the flares were, as they had left the scene by the time police arrived.
London Fire Brigade is urging people to be more careful around fireworks. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: “We encourage people to attend organised fireworks displays instead of using fireworks privately, but if you choose to use fireworks, make sure you have plenty of space, buy them from a licensed and reputable seller and always look for a CE mark to ensure they are safe.”
“Never drink alcohol or set off fireworks. Do not throw fireworks or return to a firework once it has been lit,” the firefighters continued. “Remember that fireworks are explosives and must be treated with respect and used only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the Fireworks Code.”
The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.
On Twitter, @noisyneil said: “Anyone know what happened on the Albert Bridge? You could hear a lot of people singing. One of the flares landed on the Uber boat and seemed to continue burning for a while. Fireworks were going off everywhere and the police and firefighters arrived a few minutes later. This is definitely not an official event.”
@coachdriverdave said: “I was about to head south when it all started, I continued towards Battersea Bridge, and saw flares landing all around. One was in a burning tree, the church roof had one and another landed between two parked cars. Dangerous!”
