Opinion: Rachel Moore is fed up with the disruption of garden fireworks. It's time to bring in new laws, she says.

Unless it's the Sydney Opera House at New Year or, at a pinch, over the Thames, a firework display leaves me cold. Literally.

The prospect of standing outside in November on a freezing night, with feet like blocks of ice, aching ears, shivering waiting for a few rockets and Catherine wheels is as appealing as being held hostage by a pack of wolves.

But each to their own - and there are plenty ready to 'ooh' and 'aah' about second-rate pyrotechnics year after year.

Far worse are do-it-yourself firework 'experts'. The types who insist on 'designing' their own displays, getting excited about now about their noisy garden explosions of light, planning their choreography for friends, but neglecting to tell the neighbours that they will be ruining their evening and torturing their pets with the loud noises.

From October to January, fireworks in the garden have become a thing. Every party needs a bang at the end, apparently.

It used to be just November 5, manageable, plannable and predictable. For one night only.

Now animals, the elderly, children and anyone with a nervous disposition – or just loathes loud unexpected bangs - are terrorised by impromptu displays after the clocks go back.

Campaigners are trying to get 10,000 signatures on a petition for the government to change the law, halting people using fireworks in their back garden.

They cause so much alarm, distress and anxiety to people and animals, they want Westminster to ban them.

A previous RSPCA-backed campaign asked for private fireworks displays to be allowed only on four days of special religious or cultural significance (November 5, New Year's Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali). The rest of the time, fireworks would be banned, with maximum permitted noise levels of fireworks for public sale to be reduced from 120 decibels. The campaign failed.

Fireworks for private use with loud bangs that rise more than two metres – the height of an average garden fence height – should be restricted.

Every other household today has a dog. The RSPCA said 45pc of dogs were fearful of fireworks – thousands of animals' lives are made a misery every year, including farm and wild animals.

Current rules – I wasn't aware there were rules – say fireworks cannot be set off from 11pm to 7am apart from Bonfire Night, when the cut-off time is midnight and New Year's Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut off is 1am.

Thousands of people have already signed the petition to ban garden fireworks in the run-up to Bonfire Night, asking for only public professional displays to be allowed to continue.

The parliament.uk petition needs to attract 10,000 signatures for the government to respond to its call to limit public use of fireworks.

Controlling selfish neighbours' firework habit would be easier if, to hold garden displays, people should have to apply for a licence to buy no-bang ground fireworks from licensed all-year firework shops.

I never knew that, if you're deaf and wear a hearing aid, a firework going off next to your house can cause agony, and that many deaf people remove their hearing aids on Bonfire Night.

Autistic children struggle with loud noises and fireworks casue them stress. One night a year is simple to plan but year-round garden displays are so selfish.

The elderly are particularly susceptible to loud disturbances. If they live alone and have pets, they can both be agitated and nervous.

To protect animals and wildlife, no displays should take place within 1 km of rural habitat areas such as trees, woodlands and heathlands and at least 2km from stables, zoos and farm animal locations.

It's sad that the few ruin it for the rest but, as we move through October that familiar bang of rockets is going to start piercing all our peace. Neighbourliness should curb their excesses, but sadly people are just too selfish, so the law will have to bring in some control.