Dutch police had seized 25 tonnes of illegal fireworks by the end of week 51, news website Nu.nl said on Friday.

That is well down on the 41 tonnes confiscated during the same period in 2015 and 33 tonnes seized in 2013.

A police spokesman told Nu.nl the sharp drop is likely to be due to an overall reduction in the volume of illegal fireworks smuggled into the Netherlands. In addition, fireworks which focus on special effects rather than noise are increasingly popular, and they are more likely to be legal, the spokesman said.

Some illegal firework sellers have also shifted their trade over the border into Germany.

In October, German police found 40 tonnes of fireworks stored in bunkers just over the border from Nijmegen. They were thought to be destined for the Dutch market.