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Fireworks event scrapped for 2007

The traditional end-of-season fireworks extravaganza, which has been under threat for a few years, looks to be cancelled next year.

Ever since the couple Mr and Mrs Roper took Alton Towers to court over noise complaints, they have attempted to have the fireworks event cancelled or cut down to unreasonable levels.

Despite achieving a cutback from five to three shows, and the use of quieter shells in the show, it now seems that the park have voluntarily decided to cut the show out of next year's calendar altogether.

The reason behind the decision is apparently that the park either cannot afford, or are unable to successfully market, both the fireworks show and the Halloween event together at the end of the open season. The decision was made that each year, only one of the two events can take place - and next year, it will be the Halloween event, which hasn't been seen since 2004.

Following the success that was the hotel scare maze Room 13, it seems we might finally see the full-scale Halloween event return to the park, albeit at the expense of the fireworks show. There were plans to bring it back last year, to the point where promotional leaflets were distributed in the hotels, but the event was once again cancelled at the last minute. In 2007, the money saved from axing the fireworks would be invested into the two-week Halloween event.

It remains to be seen whether this decision will be reversed in the new year. The Halloween event's return will be most welcome amongst fans of the park, and in particular the popular scare maze Terror of the Towers. But the fact that the UK's number one theme park seemingly cannot hold both Halloween and the fireworks events together, is disappointing.