Two popular free Bonfire Night firework displays have been axed because of a squeeze on town hall finances.

Lambeth Council announced on Thursday Brockwell Park and Streatham Common displays will not go ahead on November 5 due to “financial considerations.”

It will instead run a single event on Clapham Common, saving the town hall and estimated £35,000.

Councillor Florence Nosegbe, Lambeth's cabinet member for culture, said the council could not justify three free firework displays when the town hall must save £20m this year and £62m over the next three years, largely due to Government cuts to finances.

She said: “Like councils everywhere we have to make some really tough decisions, and this, unfortunately, is one of them.

"We have chosen to protect frontline services that support some of our most vulnerable residents and everything is being looked at in order to deliver this.

“We are concentrating on the Clapham Common fireworks display this year, as it can accommodate the largest number of people and has good public transport links and is centrally located. It promises to be a fantastic event and I hope as many people as possible can come and enjoy the spectacular display.”

Streatham Festival organier Patricia Sauer said: "I quite understand there have to be cuts, and the council has to look really hard at its spending,especially to what is non-essential.

"But things are a bit miserable in Streatham at the moment. We have lost the lesiure centre, the ice rink is to go and the libary is in a terrible state, and we find out now we are to miss out on our firework display."

"It would have raised spirits when everyone is a bit down."

She suggested smaller displays done in each of the three locations would have reflected Lambeth's new "cooperative council" model better.