Walsall fireworks back with a bang
Thousands of families gathered for the first bonfire of the season in Walsall - as events like this face the axe amid council cuts.
Walsall Council has revealed that bonfires, fun days and Easter egg hunts are the latest to be cut as the budget is slashed by £29 million next year.
But more than 3,000 people packed into the King George V playing fields in Bloxwich for the first of three main bonfire events across the borough.
Others will follow in Brownhills on November 1 and Willenhall on November 8.
Organiser John Millard hailed the event as the best he had ever held at the site - but said it was unlikely to take place next year.
He said it would be a 'great loss' as events like this were a highlight of the year for people in Bloxwich.
He said: "It's a real shame as it's something that brings the community together.
"This is the best one I have ever done, it really was that good. The fireworks were fantastic and I was delighted with how it went.
"We're off to Brownhills and Willenhall next and we hope they will be just as good."
Bosses want to make savings of £29.2m next year, with 487 jobs set to be axed between April 2015 and March 2017.
An 18-strong team which manages nearly 100 parks, play areas and countryside sites would be cut by more than a quarter, with compulsory redundancies likely.
The next phase of the budget consultation will launch on October 30 when people can comment on the draft proposals. They will go before full council in February 2015 when they will approve the final budget.
