Douglas Council will be staging its annual firework display on Friday, November 3.

The event will get under way at 7.15pm when Mayor of Douglas Debbie Pitts will lead judging for the Best Guy contest. There are prizes of £100, £50 and £25.

The bonfire will be lit at 7.30pm, with the fireworks display getting underway at 7.40pm. The fireworks will be fired from a barge moored opposite Douglas war memorial. The council is recommending the area around the war memorial as the best place from which to watch the display as there will be catering outlets there.

Entries for the Best Guy competition must be submitted between 6.45pm and 7.10pm at the staged area near the war memorial.

Parking on the east side of Harris Promenade will be suspended from 3pm to 9.30pm on the day and traffic will be restricted to a single, southbound lane between Broadway and a point opposite the northernmost end of the Marine Gardens, from 6pm to 9.30pm.

Free parking will be available in Chester Street car park.

If weather conditions or technical issues force a cancellation, the event will be moved to either November 4 or November 5.

A town hall spokesman said: ’The council has contingency plans in place and obtained occasional music licences for Saturday, November 4, and Sunday, November 5, so that the display can be staged over that weekend.’

The whole event is sponsored by Celton Manx, for the seventh successive year.

Regeneration and community committee chairman Stephen Pitts thanked the company for its ’continued sponsorship of the fireworks display - an eagerly anticipated and extremely popular community event attracting visitors from all over the island’.

He added: ’A lot of effort and hard work go into the preparations carried out by council staff to ensure a spectacular display, which this year promises some extra surprises.’

Celton Manx executive director Bill Mummery said: ’The council’s fireworks display provides a safe and secure setting for what is always a great family night out, which also attracts people to the town centre, so can benefit local business such as cafés, restaurants and bars.’