Cultural heritage organisations in Amsterdam have asked the council to consider banning fireworks from the inner city during the New Year celebrations.

Last year, a building attached to the city’s oldest church, the 14^th century Oude Kerk, caught fire after being hit by a firework. Without major efforts by the fire brigade, the oldest and most important building in the city would have been lost, the organisations say.

Fireworks are becoming more dangerous and paper sky lanterns are increasingly popular, presenting an added risk to old and wooden buildings, they say.

There are some 8,000 listed buildings in Amsterdam’s inner city.

Local authorities have banned fireworks in many places throughout the Netherlands but there is no such ban in Amsterdam.