The skies of Oldham were lit up on Thursday night as the community came together for the borough’s annual Big Bang Bonfire night.

Crowds gathered at Oldham Edge Playing Fields on Henshaw Street to watch the lighting of the bonfire followed by a fire dance show by FlameOz and a 20-minute display by UK champions Fantastic Fireworks which was met with cheers.

Seven-year-old Corey Platt pressed the button which launched the 20-minute firework display after winning the Big Bang Push the Button Competition.

Several food stalls and fairground rides also filled the playing fields for the event which returned to the borough for its tenth year despite several other firework displays being cancelled across the region.

Manchester City Council announced last month that council-organised bonfire events would not be reintroduced in Manchester Parks this year following a two-year lay-off during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A statement released by the council addressing the cancellations read: "A combination of factors including the escalating costs of delivering large bonfire events, increasing safety and organisational measures needed and increased pressure on council budgets have ultimately led to the decision.”

Further cities across the UK also cancelled bonfire night displays due to budget pressures amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Norwich, Dundee, and Nottingham were among the cities that cancelled events due to budget pressures amid the cost-of-living crisis.

Oldham Council however promised that this year’s free bonfire event would be “one of the biggest, loudest and most colourful events of the year”.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said: "As with other local authorities across Greater Manchester, at this time we will be progressing with our annual bonfire and fireworks display.

"We are aware of Manchester Council’s decision not to go ahead with its bonfire events this year."

The spokesperson said that due to high demand and Oldham residents having it particularly tough during the pandemic, the event would still be going ahead.

They said: "Oldham residents have had a tough time throughout the pandemic, with harsher restrictions than other parts of Greater Manchester.

"The return of the bonfire has been requested many times over and we share the residents’ view that it is an important part of Oldham’s community."