Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service reports large increase in attacks on staff

Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade has seen an increase in repeated attacks on firefighters.

More than half of the incidents in the past year involved objects being thrown at firefighters, accounting for 31 cases:

• 21 of the incidents took place in the Newcastle area

• 15 incidents were in Sunderland

• Nine incidents in North Tyneside

• Five incidents were in Gateshead

• Three incidents were in South Tyneside

The service spent more than £16,000 to cover damage to appliances and staff absences because of the attacks, in the last year.

Although the service has the third-lowest number of attacks compared to other fire and rescue services - at 2.4 per 1,000 incidents - Tyne and Wear Fire Service stressed that no attack is acceptable.

Peter Heath, Deputy Chief Fire Officer of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: "The service benefits greatly from the support of the communities and for the most part most people treat and behave in the way that we want.

"I wouldn't want to suggest it's widespread, indeed the evidence would suggest that it's limited to a few individuals who continue to repeat offend."

Phil Clark, Area Manager for Strategy and Performance, said that steps are being taken to reduce attacks on firefighters.

He said: "There's two prongs to the attack, reducing the number of occurrences of secondary fires, getting the rubbish off the streets, getting rid of that loose refuse.

"But also through the diversionary activities and school education programmes, which has been difficult and challenging to gain access to through the Covid period."

Councillor Tom Woodwark, a Newcastle City Council representative, added: "This is horrific, this is absolutely completely and utterly unacceptable on every single level you can think of."