Emergency services in Greater Manchester warn against attacks on them during Bonfire Night period

ITV News' Rob Smith spoke to emergency services about the importance of acting responsibly over the bonfire weekend.

Emergency services in Greater Manchester are warning against attacks on them during the Bonfire Night period.

Firefighters, police and paramedics are speaking out against anti-social behaviour after a dramatic increase in incidents last year.

Figures show that the number rose by more than 20% last year to over 10,000 recorded cases, with direct attacks on firefighters also increasing.

A new campaign called Bang Out of Order is being launched to tackle the problem.

Working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority emergency services are highlighting the potentially devastating consequences for their staff, and that anyone caught could be fined or jailed.

It also outlines how members of the public can report incidents.

Figures provided by the Fire Service and Greater Manchester Police show that there were 22 attacks on firefighters between 1st September and 13th November last year.

In the same period almost 12 hundred fires were started deliberately and there were more than a thousand hoax calls.

The number of incidents of anti-social behaviour also increased sharply to 10,036 from 8,200 the year before.

Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “We know that most people in Greater Manchester will enjoy the Halloween and Bonfire period safely and respectfully.

"Unfortunately, there will be a minority causing distress to residents, communities and emergency services through their anti-social behaviour, hoax calls that distract firefighters from attending more serious incidents, and attacks on emergency service workers who are trying to help.

“Our fire, police, and ambulance services have once again joined forces with local authorities to say this behaviour is ‘Bang out of Order’ – it will not be tolerated, and offenders could be jailed or fined.

“We are also asking for the public’s help to prevent incidents – you can report anti-social behaviour through GMP’s LiveChat service or call 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

“If your child is planning to go out during this period, make sure you know where they are, what they are doing and how to contact them.”

The Fire Service says its crews work extremely hard in this period and they're calling for the public's help in keeping them safe.

GMFRS’s Director of Prevention and Protection, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Carlos Meakin, said: “The Bonfire and Halloween period is extremely busy for firefighters across GMFRS. Our crews do incredible work in keeping communities safe and are thankful to the majority of residents who enjoy this period safely.

“However, it is sad to see our firefighters attacked while they’re just trying to do their job. I hope that the Bang Out Of Order campaign, alongside our partner agencies, can highlight the dangers this behaviour poses and reduce these types of incidents.”

It's a thought echoed by the police who also warn that anyone involved in attacks or incidents must prepare to face the consequences.

Superintendent John-Paul Ruffle, Greater Manchester Police’s force lead for ASB, said: “The Halloween and Bonfire period is a busy one for GMP and our emergency service colleagues, and we want to remind people that they should enjoy themselves safely and respectfully, mindful of those in their communities.

“We work closely with partners to ensure that stores selling illegal fireworks are investigated and robustly dealt with, while our plans for this period will see continued work in tackling anti-social behaviour which can peak during this time and be a blight on the lives of law-abiding people.

“I want to reassure the public that we take anti-social behaviour very seriously, and we will be proactively working across the entirety of Greater Manchester with our partners and blue-light colleagues to tackle those responsible.

“We fully support the Bang Out Of Order Campaign and want to help highlight the risks, dangers, and consequences of inappropriate and illegal behaviour.”

The ‘Bang Out Of Order’ campaign will see firefighters visiting schools to give pupils safety advice on fireworks, bonfires and antisocial behaviour to highlight the consequences for emergency service workers.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...