Fire crew attacks 'rise'

Firefighters have called for greater protection after a new report revealed a catalogue of attacks.

Crews who face the daily threat of being ambushed, shot at, stabbed and abused, according to the the Fire Brigades Union.

It claims that the number of incidents is increasing even though official figures show a fall in attacks against crews.

The union says there are 40 attacks on firemen and women every week and said the number of incidents recorded by fire authorities in England and Wales are four times those in the official Government statistics.

Attacks increased by 15% last year but official Government figures showed a dramatic fall of 68%, said the union.

In some parts of the country, attacks are so frequent that they are no longer reported, according to the FBU.