There wasn't much of Gerald Schrama's letterbox left when the mail was delivered this morning - someone had blown it up with fireworks last night. The destruction of his letterbox was one of two fireworks-related incidents Napier firefighters had to respond to last night. But the first Mr Schrama knew of thedamage was when his rural delivery man arrived with the melted remains of the letterbox. "It doesn't hold much mail," he said. In the 10 years, Mr Schrama has lived on Korokipo Road this is the first time he has had to replace the plastic box. Although not anti-fireworks, Mr Schrama said he thought "it was a bit of a waste to go and do that sort of thing". Napier Fire officer Hamish Smith said it had been a busy night for the fire service with three car accidents, a false alarm and the two fireworks incidents. Mr Smith said they had been called to the letterbox fire around 10.30pm. He said it looked as though it had been blown up using fireworks. The fire engine then had to go out to a second fireworks-related incident after neighbours on Shakespeare Road and Battery Road, Napier, were woken by an explosion at 1.08 this morning and saw smoke pouring from the public toilets. Mr Smith said a large firework had been lit and put into the top of the urinal. He said there had been plenty of smoke but no damage. The toilets, which were targeted are one of the oldest public toilets in the Bay. They date to around 1913 when trams first began running in the region - up until the late 1980s there were three such building in the Napier area but these are the only ones left. What makes the building memorable is the Brenda Morrell mural of waiting passengers painted on the exterior walls. * Wellington Central MP Marian Hobbs has prepared a private member's bill which would ban the sale of fireworks to the public and allow community-organised fireworks events only with a council permit.
