Same as in France; I wonder it's it's a common chav/lad/droog thing, or a Youth™ thing like here?Firefighters are facing a daily threat of being ambushed, shot at, stabbed and abused, according to the Fire Brigades Union, and the number of such attacks in England and Wales are on the up.
Watch manager John Cartwright says in his 19-year firefighting career, he has been on the receiving end of violence and abuse too many times to mention. "It does happen a lot. I've been spat at, had stones thrown at me, verbal abuse and once had a vodka bottle chucked at me," he said.
The worst of these attacks was several years ago when he was called out to a large bonfire in Greater Manchester on Good Friday. "A group of about 30 teenagers had built a fire, taking fence panels from people's gardens. It was somewhere for them to sit and drink alcohol on a bank holiday.
"They had obviously been drinking, there were cans and bottles around and even young children, some as young as 12, were running through the fire.
"We decided to extinguish the fire for their own safety, but as the last elements went out they started the attack. About six youths jumped on top of one of the firefighters, and were punching him. We pulled them off and retreated slowly."
But the youngsters had started throwing missiles at the fire engines and heavy stones and garden ornaments at us, he said. "It was scary in the fact that it was bricks and bottles being thrown and it was unrelenting," he said.
One firefighter was hit in the back, and another was struck by a large wine bottle on the elbow. But, unable to board their fire engine, the crew held out until the police arrived when the sight of a police van sent the youngsters running.
Most escaped but three were caught - one was given an Asbo and the other two detained for six months, Mr Cartwright said.
Had the incident put him or his colleagues off the job? "In my personal experience, I don't think it has. It's a part of the job that we do and sometimes it's unpleasant," he said. "I honestly believe in this case the youths were not aware of the consequences."
They would not have realised their actions had meant an engine was taken out of service and attendance times to other fires were reduced, he said. On some calls an extra vehicle will be sent out so one crew can watch the others' backs as they work, he explained.
Mr Cartwright suggested this trend for targeting firefighters took off in 1996 after a major fire at Carpet World in Salford. "It was the first time it hit the news that firefighters had been attacked. That summer it got worse. It seemed to be the most popular thing to do - to call the fire brigade out and attack them.
"I don't understand why, but it became the 'in thing' to do."
