Safety chiefs urge people to stay away from Lewes Bonfire

Safety chiefs have urged people to stay away from Lewes on Bonfire Night tomorrow (Wednesday 5 November).

They said: “Please don’t travel to Lewes Bonfire Night. Members of the public are being urged not to travel to the event.

“Measures, including road closures and parking restrictions, are being brought in to help the event pass safely by managing the number of people attending.

“To further reduce the number attending, trains will not call at Lewes, Falmer, Cooksbridge, Glynde and Southease from 5pm on Wednesday 5 November, until the start of service on Thursday 6 November 2025.

“Commuters are warned the last trains back from London Victoria to these stations will leave at 3.24pm and 3.54pm.

“Emergency services, local authorities and transport operators have been planning for the celebrations for many months.

“There remain serious concerns about overcrowding in the narrow streets of Lewes.”

Linda Farley, from Lewes District Council, said: “We work closely with other organisations and with crowd control experts to identify where there may be problems with overcrowding.

“We will have stewards working on the night, giving people advice on areas to avoid, and we ask that anyone who chooses to attend follows this guidance to help keep people safer.

“We also ask attendees to refrain from littering and encourage people take recyclable waste home.”

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: “Every year, dozens of injuries are reported. Many were hurt on the procession routes and by bangers or other fireworks.”

Group manager Tom Walby, from the fire service, said: “We would ask that you head to locally organised fireworks events rather than coming to Lewes.

“Crowded streets make it harder for us to get to people in an emergency. We also want to remind people of the Fireworks Code to help us all have a safe night.”

Chief Superintendent Katy Woolford, from Sussex Police, said: “Police officers will be working closely with event organisers, stewarding teams and our partners to ensure Lewes Bonfire Night is a safe and enjoyable occasion for everyone.

“Each year we make arrests for offences such as assaults, criminal damage and drug possession – this behaviour will not be tolerated.

“Enforcement action will be taken against anyone who puts others at risk or ignores event restrictions, including those bringing their own fireworks.

“Our priority is to keep everyone safe and ensure the night runs smoothly.

“Anyone who sees suspicious behaviour or something that doesn’t seem right should report it to stewards, officers on patrol or call 999 in an emergency.”

The fire service said: “In addition to the changes to rail services, Lewes residents are advised to get vehicles home before 4pm to avoid any road closures.

“Visitors are advised not to bring vehicles into the town.

“To help keep everyone safe, road closures will be legally enforced throughout the duration of the event.

“Drivers and cyclists are asked to respect these restrictions and follow the diversion routes in place. These measures have been introduced to support public safety and help the event run smoothly.”

The following roads are due to close at 4.45pm