A WARNING has been given that the annual Bedale bonfire could again be under threat unless unruly teenagers can be brought under control.

Hundreds of people were again attracted on Saturday to Bedale Hall park, where fireworks worth thousands of pounds were electronically triggered to music for the third successive year.

The successful event was marred later, however, by the behaviour of about 50 teenagers. They were said to have twice broken down a security fence erected as a precaution against vandals who last year threw on to the dying embers of the bonfire a memorial seat taken from outside the nearby parish church.

The teenagers were described as morons by bonfire committee chairman John Noone, who said that after the fence was broken for the second time, it was decided to call the police and to have the embers extinguished by the fire brigade which had attended throughout the evening.

Mr Noone said a bottle was thrown at a firefighter, who had not been injured, and teenagers climbed all over the fire engine. He claimed there had been under-age drinking in the park.

Mr Noone is writing to the town council, which took the bonfire committee under its wing for administrative purposes this year and met the cost of public liability insurance for the first time.

He said: "I think we are going to have difficulty staging the bonfire next year because committee members are so disgruntled. I have never seen anything like it before. The committee is going to be asked whether it wants to carry on.

"This has put the kybosh on it. I have had all I can take.''

Mr Noone added: "We had a very successful night, with loads of people enjoying it, but because of the actions of some morons it would be unfortunate if it folds. We may need some sort of curfew in the park.''

l The bonfire due to take place at West Witton tomorrow has been cancelled because organisers were unable to meet insurance costs.

A spokesman for the playing fields committee said that the fields were a superb location for the event and that the committee hoped to hold a bonfire in the village next year.