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Fire chief fury as mob attacks crew

Bethan Dorsett
8/11/2005

A SECOND fireman has come under attack from yobs hurling bricks after being called to a bonfire in Wardle.

The 27-year-old was trying to warn the unruly gang of 20 youths who were threatening crews on Green Meadow when they began to throw missiles at him before aiming at the fire engine.

The crew escaped without injury, but were forced to retreat to Littleborough Fire Station, where they found several dents on the appliance.

The attack comes less than a week after another fireman was hit by a brick by youths in Crescent Road, Meadway.

It also coincides with moves to step up security by installing CCTV cameras on some of Greater Manchester's fire engines.

Condemning the latest attack, Rochdale Station Commander Wayne Shields was keen to send out a zero-tolerance message to those who assault crews.

He said: "These bricks left some serious dents on the engine.

"If they had struck the firefighter he could have been severely injured.

"We could have also had to remove a fire appliance which would have put the whole community at risk.

"This may be an impossible request, but I really urge the parents of these children to be aware of where they are and also emphasise how these firefighters help the community.

"At the moment we are visiting local schools and writing letters to Wardle residents because I think it is important everyone knows what has happened."

Mr Shields also welcomed the decision to fit CCTV cameras to four Greater Manchester fire engines this week.

Although the details are yet to be confirmed, he feels Rochdale has a 'good chance' of being chosen for the trial run, having suffered 15 attacks on its crews in just three months.

It follows a similar pilot in the West Midlands last year, which saw the number of attacks on crews drop dramatically after security cameras were fitted to its fire engines.

"I welcome anything that would reduce assaults on our firefighters," said Mr Shields. "These cameras will cover all angles of the engine, so they would act as a good deterrent."