Police arrest one in bonfire crackdown

The police continued their intensified patrols across Cyprus on Thursday to crack down on the use of firecrackers and bonfires known as lambradjia, ahead of midnight Easter liturgy on Saturday.

Overnight, the police responded to various complaints that fires had been lit and firecrackers set off.

In cooperation with the local authorities, the police removed quantities of timber, as well as old tyres, used to light the bonfires.

In some cases, the fire brigade was called in.

Parents were also called to collect minors found at the sites.

In Nicosia at around 9.20pm, the police arrested a 21-year-old for the possession of 1.8g of white powder believed to be cocaine. The man was sitting on a parked motorcycle, while 23 firecrackers were found nearby and confiscated.

The man is also being investigated for traffic offences, as the motorcycle had been declared immobilised and did not have a valid MOT. The suspect furthermore did not have a driving licence.

The police also found firecrackers in Paphos at around 10pm. A total of 15 firecrackers were found in a plastic bag in an open space. Five were improvised and ten factory-made. A knife was confiscated along with the firecrackers.