A gang of over 30 youths launched a hail of missiles at firefighters who had been called to put out a bin fire which may have been a deliberate act of arson.
Cleveland Fire Brigade said it received repeated “entrapment calls” to the blaze in Hemlington in Middlesbrough in the early hours of Monday.
Fire chiefs described the attacks as “completely unacceptable” and Police Officers were also attacked during the fracas.
The brigade’s senior area manager Steve Johnson said it would not tolerate such attacks.
“It is completely unacceptable for our staff to be subject to violence and acts of vandalism whilst protecting the public.
Our job is made even more difficult by the thoughtless actions of a minority who in this instance, deliberately set fires and damaged a fire engine, making that vehicle unavailable for emergency response.
Deliberate fires such as these divert resources and run the risk of us not being able to respond to a life threatening incident.”
A spokesperson for the Police said they received reports of a “large group” causing damage to properties and vehicles and burning items in the Cass House Road area.
There have been 13 attacks on fire crews between March and May, including a tree trunk being thrown through the windscreen of a fire engine and bricks hurled at firefighters as they tackled a garden fire that was threatening to spread.
Unity News Network (UNN) Staff Writer | To find out more details about our staff, please head to the About Us section on our website.
