Most shops selling fireworks in Oxfordshire are obeying the law and refusing to hand them over to under 18s.

Spot checks on 17 stores across the county revealed only one retailer selling fireworks to teenagers below the legal age limit.

Trading standards officers enlisted volunteer teenagers who went into shops and tried to buy fireworks.

Other checks carried out included monitoring of retail premises to remove illegal and unsafe fireworks and inspections of premises to ensure that storage conditions were being complied with.

County trading standards officer David Sibbert said he was pleased with the results of the spot checks.

"I am particularly pleased we have found only one batch of illegal fireworks on sale and all but one retailer has refused to sell fireworks to under 18s," he said.

He reminded parents that sparklers now carry warnings that they should not be given to children under five.

He added that anyone who was seen letting off fireworks in the street was committing an offence and the police should be contacted.

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