LYME Regis town council has come to the rescue after a manpower crisis threatened to put a damper on the reosrt's Guy Fawkes celebrations.

The traditional bonfire planned as a centrepiece for the seafront fireworks display on November 2 looked set to be cancelled because the usual clean up crew are not available this year.

Organisers Lyme Regatta and Carnival Committee already faced environmental and safety concerns about the bonfire when they learnt that local boatman Harry May, who has for years organised the blaze and the clean-up after it with the help of Lyme Regis fishermen, said he was unable to do it this year.

But this week carnival secretary Paul Bohane praised the town council for promptly answering their call for help.

"The annual bonfire and fireworks is such a great Lyme tradition that it would have been terrible to see it go", he told The News. "We asked the council if they could help, and Coun Ken Whetlor, Chairman of the Recreation and amenities Committee, got back to us immediately.

"Ken has arranged for the council to provide the staff, tractor and harrow that have been grooming the beach all summer to clear up on Monday after the bonfire. It's really good to have the council step in like this and be so responsive so quickly to help make sure we have a fantastic event. Not only does it give a great deal of pleasure to residents, but it attracts much needed business into the town, too."

Mr Bohane revealed that the traders at the Cobb had also generously agreed to pay for part of the cost of the fireworks, so they were looking to provide an even more spectacular display than usual.

"We hope that the crowd will be generous with their donations, though, as they have been on recent occasions," he said. "We want to be able to collect a tidy sum for the local Lyme good causes we support."

As well as the bonfire, fireworks and torchlight procession there will be the fire sculpture competition that has been such a success in recent years, and a children's fancy dress competition, where the categories will be the same as for the Regatta and Carnival: 0-5 years, 6-10 years, and 11-14 years.

The timetable for Saturday November 2 is:

12pm Fire Sculpture entries all to Shelters 2pm Judging of Fire Sculptures 3pm Children's Fancy Dress at The Inn Place 4pm Fire Sculptures move to beach 6.30pm Torches go on sale (at Cobb Gate) 7pm Torchlight Procession along Marine Parade 7.45pm Fireworks On The North Wall, followed by the bonfire The Mayor and Mayoress, Ken and Jen Dibben, will lead the torchlight procession and ceremonially light the bonfire.

In order to make the bonfire as environmentally friendly as possible Mr Bohane repeated the requests made earlier relating to the bonfire:

1. Please do not take material to the beach before Sunday 20 October.

2. Material should be completely flammable and not give rise to toxic fumes. So no furniture stuffed with foam, no mattresses with springs inside, and so on. Scrap wood, garden prunings, etc. would all be acceptable.

3. Absolutely nothing to go on the bonfire that is a safety hazard - for example, no gas canisters, no half empty tins of paint.