Police warning over attacks on fire crews

As Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service gears up its busiest period of the hear, Home Office statistics show its crews were the victims of six attacks in the year to March and 49 incidents in the last decade.

The data shows that, since records began just over a decade ago, fire crews have been subjected to three incidents of physical abuse, had objects thrown at them on 11 occasions, had verbal abuse directed at them 28 times, experienced one episode of harassment and dealt with at least six other aggressive incidents.

Nationally 8,600 attacks have been recorded by fire brigades since 2010-11 – and more than 500 firefighters have been injured.

Police chiefs have vowed to use the full force of the law against those who subject emergency workers to "deplorable" attacks.

A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council said: “Last year, the maximum jail term for attacking emergency workers was doubled – a clear message that society will not tolerate abuse of our emergency workers.

"We will use the full force of the law to prosecute anyone who uses violence against those on the front line.”

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "Any attack on firefighters – who are providing a humanitarian service – is something to be deplored.

"It is paramount that fire and rescue services provide appropriate support to firefighters who are subject to such attacks.”