Under a voluntary code drawn up by the local authority, retailers have not been stocking fireworks in a bid to prevent weeks of potentially-dangerous incidents in the run-up to November 5.

Rockets and other pyrotechnics will hit the shelves from tomorrow, but police believe that the code has “been of benefit to the wider community”.

“The voluntary code seems to be working at the moment — certainly there hasn’t been the problem that there has been in previous years,” said Detective Chief Inspector Jim Cameron.

“There have been some incidents involving fireworks, but not nearly the same volume as before, and it’s a good example of the council and the police working together to try and reduce a problem.”

Concerns were raised last week about deliberate fire-raising in the run-up to Bonfire Night after firefighters in Dundee responded to 21 incidents in just six hours.

The senior detective said he did not believe the unavailability of fireworks was increasing other forms of pre-November 5 activity, adding, “Bonfires are something that happen every year anyway.”

The voluntary code was introduced last year after a series of meetings involving councillors, officials, shopkeepers, the police, the fire brigade and the SSPCA.

It received widespread support including the backing of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Dundee & Tayside Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Among the terms of the code are agreements that fireworks would not be sold before October 16 or after November 12 and that sale would be refused to people under 18 or who might give them to under-18s.

Last night police did trace two youths allegedly setting off fireworks and bangers in the West Kirkton area of the city. Letters will be sent to the youngsters’ parents detailing their activities, while inquiries will be made to establish where and when the fireworks were bought.

DCI Cameron warned, “It is an offence to set off fireworks in the street, and we will continue to take action in that regard.”