Which takes me back a year or 20, to the days when the Royal Navy were still base at Chatham (Kent) As the Old year retired, and the New Year came in, as is traditional Ships sirens sounded, bells were rung, and the duty Destroyer would put a couple of "Star Shell" over the Medway - ( The skill was to time it so that the "Star Shell" burst excactly on Midnight.)

Fast forward to a few years ago. I was acting as duty B'osun for the Medway amalgamated Sailing Clubs. Nothing seroius - a tow if required, pick the drunks out of the water at closing time etc. Look for the tealeaves stealing from moored boats.

A red (distress) flare is sighted. VHF to Coast Gaurd, and start running the bearing down, cautiously, if thers some poor sod in the water you don't want to give him a haircut with the propellor.

It turns out that there was a "party" at the Royal Engineers depot at Upnor. Some stupid chinless wonder had thought it a good idea to play with a Flare Pistol - red flares. Hmmm ! H M Coat Gaurd were not happy, neither were the Police.

Stupidity with Firearms is not confined to the US of A.

Gareth