Fireworks companies want to use more bomb shelters at the former airbase at Upper Heyford in preparation for Millennium celebrations.

Four firms store fireworks in former ammunition stores at Heyford Park, the former RAF base.

As they gear up for an explosive New Year's Eve in 1999, the companies need to use all the stores in the bomb area, in expectation of massive demand from revellers.

But a legal technicality, which says explosives cannot be stored too close together, means the companies must wait for the go ahead from the Health and Safety Executive - even though the fireworks are in former bomb shelters.

Keith Watson, of North Oxfordshire Consortium which manages Heyford Park, said: "At the moment we can only let one in three of the bomb shelters. It's crazy when you think of what used to be in there.

"We can only let them when we get a full licence because you're not allowed to store fireworks next to each other. It's a slight anomaly but that's the way the law is."

John Woodhead, of Cosmic Fire Ltd which will have responsibility for the new licence, said: "With this application we will have 50 per cent more space than we already had on the site.. There will be two fireworks night in 1999 - November 5 won't be cancelled just because it's the Millennium. Heyford Park is an ideal storage area. We're storing things in there that are only a fraction of the power the buildings were made for."

Bhikhubhai Shah, of the firm Devco, said: "We're trying to build up gradually. There will be hardly anybody who will be able to get supplies next year. Because of the Millennium everyone wants to order so we've got to get in beforehand otherwise we'll miss the boat

"If we start now, we'll have sufficient stock in storage for the Millennium so we need the extra capacity."

Cherwell District Council planners yesterday deferred voting on a change of use of all former bomb stores on the base. Officers have received the views of the Health and Safety Executive's Explosives Division and want time to consider the application.

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