An 11-metre tall effigy of disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein went up in flames at a traditional bonfire celebration near London.

In England, an effigy of soldier Guy Fawkes is traditionally burned alongside fireworks on November 5 to mark his failed 1605 gunpowder plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Artists put the finishing touches to the Edenbridge Bonfire Society effigy. ( AP: PA )

But one English town — Edenbridge in Kent — puts a spin on the occasion by also burning a second effigy of a high-profile figure making the news.

Last year, Edenbridge Bonfire Society chose US President Donald Trump, while previous picks have included former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and British media personality Katie Hopkins.

This year's choice of Weinstein comes in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against the Hollywood producer.

"We felt it was only fair that he got to see his comeuppance tonight," said Laura Burton-Lawrence, a spokesperson for the Edenbridge Bonfire Society, shortly before the effigy was set on fire.

"He's going to be going up in flames with gunpowder, explosions, all sorts, before we have a huge fireworks display taking place afterwards."

Weinstein's fall from grace came after investigations by the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine revealed a decades-long pattern of the powerful producer making lewd advances on women under the pretense of business meetings.

One spectator at the event in Edenbridge, Gary Patterson, said the effigy is not a celebration of Weinstein but should rather draw attention to his behaviour.

Last year the Edenbridge Bonfire Society decided to burn an effigy of Donald Trump. ( Facebook: Edenbridge Bonfire Society )

"It's very tongue-in-cheek. It's very satirical, very classic British approach," he said.

"Obviously Harvey Weinstein's very vilified at the moment for what he's been doing.

"And it's not really a celebration of what he's done but it's to sort of draw attention to what he's done and hopefully people in the future will sort of draw on this example, on this memory, of what he's done wrong and go forward from that."

Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night, has been commemorated in England for more than 300 years.

The Edinbridge tradition of burning a second effigy apparently came about because of a bonfire ban.

"The reason why I was standing in front of two giant 11-metre tall effigies … is because 20 years ago we were no longer allowed to have actual big bonfires," Ms Burton-Lawrence said.

"So instead of having a big bonfire, which other events are allowed to have, we actually have these giant effigies and we do choose one of celebrity or someone who's in the news at that time."

An effigy of Guy Fawkes is traditionally burned alongside fireworks. ( Reuters: Neil Hall, file )

AP/ABC