Call to beat Easter school holiday arson rise
Fire chiefs in County Durham are aiming to stamp out an annual increase in arson.
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) say the Easter holidays traditionally they see a spike in deliberate fires.
It has launched a new arson reduction campaign – Talk, Teach, Time – to push the safety message, particularly in the East Durham area.
The campaign will push anti-arson messages on social media platforms – aiming to reduce the number of incidents and educate those that may consider setting deliberate fires over the seriousness of their actions and the potential harm they can inflict on their own communities.
Talk, Teach, Time is aimed at parents – calling on them to talk to their children about the dangers deliberate fires can have.
Lee Aspery, arson reduction manager at CDDFRS has said: “Arson damages communities, property but, above all, it puts people’s lives at risk.
"Our communities shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
“We would also appeal to residents and businesses to help prevent arson by ensuring waste is disposed of correctly and that wheelie bins are not left in public places longer than is necessary.”
He added: “We are here to work with them to tackle the causes of deliberate fires.”
Ian Hoult, Durham County Council’sneighbourhoodprotection manager, said: “Deliberately setting things on fire can put people in real danger and risks lives.
“We would encourage anyone with information about any incident of arson to report it to the emergency services, including FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558 to which calls can be made anonymously.”