Two attacks a week on fire crews

Yobs have attacked firefighters in the West Midlands almost 300 times in the past three years, shocking new figures have revealed.

Crews in the region have been pelted with glass bottles, stones and eggs as well as being spat at while giving out safety advice, bombarded with abuse while putting out fires and blocked in roads by cruel drivers while trying to rush to emergencies. In two of the most serious attacks, it is believed a fire engine and station were shot at by yobs carrying air rifles.

The figures have been released to the Express & Star under the Freedom of Information Act. They reveal 95 incidents were reported in 2006, 119 in 2007 and 80 in 2008 – a total of 294.

It means firefighters are being attacked on average around two times a week.

Last year, 29 of the incidents took place in the Black Country compared to 44 in 2007 and 33 in 2006.

One of the attacks involved an air rifle being fired at the rear door area of an engine travelling through Friar Park in Wednesbury, which chipped a window.

In another youths threw bricks at two firefighters in Walsall before physically attacking them along with a member of the public and her dog in April last year. And in October a firework was thrown at a fire engine in Pensnett.

The Fire Brigade Union said it feared the true number of attacks could be higher than the official figure because some were not reported.

West Midlands fire service spokesman Mike Fox added: "The service takes any verbal or physical abuse of its staff extremely seriously.

"We feel it is totally unacceptable for our people to face any such abuse."

He said firefighters were working hard to forge positive relationships with young people and other measures such as CCTV had been introduced in a bid to reduce attacks.