Rising insurance premiums cannot be blamed for the growing cost of firework displays, Exchange Chambers QC Bill Braithwaite said.
Braithwaite warned the lights could go out on displays if manufacturers and event organisers continued to neglect health and safety management.
He said there were concerns that Guy Fawkes Day could prove a damp squib this year because of the insurance costs spiralling out of control.
But Braithwaite said the price could be restricted if the right precautions were taken.
He said: “Fireworks are explosives. Insurers want to make sure that these modern fireworks, which are quite different from those of years ago, are handled by people who can be trusted to manage them safely.
“Ordinary people now know that they should not be injured by the carelessness of the organisers of such displays. Surely this is not a bad thing.”
