I work nights, so in the run-up to firework night I did the responsible thing and made arrangements to be home, taking the night off work, keeping my pets indoors and giving my child-minder the night off.

And rightly so, as these things are my responsibility.

However, nobody told me that firework night is now firework fortnight.

I can’t arrange to have every night off in November. I can’t keep my pets indoors for a month.

So, thanks to people who let fireworks off from November 2-10, my children have lost their beloved cat.

After eight consecutive nights of explosions, he has been so petrified that he is lost, or worse.

Since when is it acceptable to destroy the peace that families and pets deserve and should expect? And wild animals fare no better.

A friend of mine was lucky enough to have an owl nesting in the nestbox at the end of his garden. That is, until its peace was destroyed night after night by fireworks. The owl. now dead, was removed from the box three days ago. I expect it was very unpleasant being terrorised to death in its ‘safe haven’.

Still, as long as people enjoyed themselves, it doesn’t matter, does it?

M L Lucas, London Road, Calne.