08/02/2008

Drop In Attacks On Firefighters

Attacks upon Northern Ireland fire crews have fallen over the last year, according to latest figures.

285 were reported to have been attacked in 2007 which was down on the 342 attacked from the previous year.

Jim Quinn from the Fire and Rescue Service said efforts to involve local communities to tackle the problem had made a definite impact.

The figure represents one in seven of all such incidents in the UK.

Firefighters across the UK regularly report being threatened, intimidated and abused.

Some have claimed they had been pelted with bricks, bottles and stones as they fought fires, or even attacked with lumps of wood, knives and hammers.

According to the Fire Brigade Union (FBU), assaults on firefighters in Scotland are gradually decreasing, though attacks in England continue to rise.

(GC)


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