FIREFIGHTERS DEMAND ACTION!

Firefighters need protection!

Britain's firefighters need more protection from violent thugs as 40 crews a week are facing serious attacks as they try to save lives, union chiefs have warned.

Gangs of yobs are luring firecrews onto the streets with hoax calls or by setting fire to rubbish bins or cars, and then surrounding and pelting firefighters with stones, bricks and bottles - and in some cases hurling petrol bombs.

Other incidents include stabbings, booby trap explosions and crews being shot with airguns, while verbal intimidation and abuse have become commonplace.

The number of assaults leapt from 1,300 to 1,500 last year, according to the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and in some areas the violence and verbal abuse is now so routine that crews no longer bother to report it - making a nonsense of official Government figures showing a marked improvement with only 400 attacks last year.

Publishing a report into the worsening problems yesterday the union accused the Government of turning a blind eye, and demanded investment in a nation-wide strategy to protect firefighters.

Currently there is no self-defence training for firecrews, and no proper system of priority police call-outs to deal with attacks.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said it was almost "beyond belief" that firemen and women could be attacked so viciously while fighting fires and trying to save lives.

"In some areas, attacking fire crews has become a recreational activity with very serious consequences.

"It cannot be part of anyone's job to face abuse, threats or attacks.

Mr Wrack said alcohol and drug abuse were fuelling the problems among youngsters in deprived areas who are behind the bulk of the assaults.

He said: "The highest numbers of attacks are in areas characterised by poor housing, poverty and few or no facilities for young people.

"Understanding why attacks happen is not to condone or accept them as part of the job, but to help us address the problem."

The bulk of attacks took place in urban areas, some of which saw dramatic increases last year.

In both Tyne and Wear and in Durham and Darlington assaults more than doubled in the year to March 2007, while in South Yorkshire they rose by 64 per cent.

In Tyne and Wear crews are being issued with "spit kits" to collect DNA samples when they are spat at and abused by members of the public, while in Greater Manchester engines are having CCTV cameras fitted - although some firefighters fear the cameras will undermine public trust, blurring the lines between them and the police.

The FBU is calling for fire crews to receive training on dealing with violent attacks, and for more money to be invested in decent protection and catching and prosecuting attackers.

The report urges a major public awareness campaign to try to stamp out the trend, with training and initiatives targeted on schools in the worst-hit areas.

Union bosses also want quicker police responses when crews come under attack, with a commitment to send fully-trained officers instead of community support officers to deal with incidents.

The report warns that many attackers are going unpunished even if they are caught, including an Edinburgh youth who threw a breezeblock at a fire engine. He was made to apologise but no further action was taken.

Shadow communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles called for an urgent probe into the 'dodgy' official Government figures, saying: "Ministers must come clean and explain why they are hiding or failing to record the rising number of assaults on firefighters."

He added: "The full force of the law should be used to identify and bring to justice those who hinder or harm the vital work of firefighters in saving lives."

The Department of Communities and Local Government said violence against firecrews was "unacceptable," and claimed new sentencing guidelines would increase penalties for violence against public sector workers - including firefighters.

(Firefighters)

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