Officers alerted by suspicious neighbour found apartment, cellar and two vans packed

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

German police have confiscated 850kg of fireworks and firecrackers from a man in Hamburg before new year festivities.

Police were tipped off by the 23-year-old man’s neighbour that he was stockpiling a large quantity of pyrotechnics. Officers found his apartment, cellar and two vans packed with fireworks, a police spokeswoman told the national DPA news agency.

The fireworks contained around 80kg of explosive substances, 80 times the legal limit for storage in a private home.

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Fireworks and rockets are an essential part of new year festivities in Germany, with revellers letting off huge numbers from their balconies and gardens.

They are sold only on the last three days of the year, and €137m (£123m) was spent on them last year.

Last year two people were killed, a child was injured and five people required amputations after fireworks-related incidents during celebrations to see in 2018.

Several injuries have already been reported this season. Two people including a 14-year-old have lost fingers , and an 18-year-old was admitted to hospital with severe burns.