Lewes Bonfire 2022: Public being urged to not travel to world famous event

Emergency services, local authorities and transport operators have been planning for the celebrations for many months and say there remains serious concerns about overcrowding in the narrow streets of the town.

Tim Whelan from Lewes District Council said: “We work closely with other organisations and with crowd control experts to identify where they may be problems with over-crowding.

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

The event, run by six different Lewes bonfire societies, is one of the biggest November 5 events in the country, with more than 30 processions taking place through the narrow streets of the East Sussex town.

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

Since 2010, 896 injuries have been reported, with many of these being people hurt on the procession routes and by bangers or other fireworks.

Doug Marshall, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service group manager said: “We would ask that you head to locally organised fireworks events rather than coming to Lewes, as crowded streets make it harder for us to get to people in an emergency.”

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Train times had already been amended in line with safety precautions, but due to national industrial action taking place on 5 November, there will now be no trains serving Lewes and the surrounding stations.

For a full list of road closures and travel news for the November 5 event click here.