A charity fireworks night went off with a bang with just three hours to spare after Essex & Suffolk Water came to the rescue to stop the event from fizzling out.

Wickford 2nd Scout Group contacted the water company about their scout hut in Long Meadow Drive, in a last-ditch effort to save cancelling a charity fireworks night on Friday 8 November.

Essex & Suffolk Water stepped up, and technician Martin went above and beyond, to make sure the repairs were completed in time for the fundraising event to go ahead.

James Crawford, Board of Trustees Chairman for Wickford 2nd Scouts, said: “The guys at Essex & Suffolk Water have done an amazing job, especially Martin who I have a lot of praise for. He understood the severity of the problem and how it was impacting on the beavers, cubs and scouts who use the hall and has been popping in during his spare time to make sure we’re ok.

“The water was back on three hours before the event, so it was a bit nerve-wracking, but everything went off without a hitch and we raised £700 for scouting activities.”

Daniel Fletcher, Technical Supervisor, added: “Our team have done a sterling job to allow the fireworks to go ahead. The guys rocketed into action to fix the leak, all bang on time to make the night happen.

“Luckily we have a great team who are more than happy to help our customers, especially when it comes to situations like this; they are all our little sparklers!”