Partnership puts a stop to nuisance fire setting in Arbury
Nuisance fires in Arbury, Nuneaton have been stamped out thanks to a partnership between Warwickshire County council’s Fire and Rescue Service and Warwickshire Police.
Over the last three months there have been a series of anti social behaviour related fires within the Arbury area. Most of these fires were started in trees in resident’s gardens, which were deliberately set alight. These fires started out small, but rapidly grew in size, increasing their potential danger.
Working in partnership with the police, fire crews have been engaging with young people in the local area to talk about the dangers they are putting themselves in, their local communities and firefighters. They have also been talking about how quickly fire can spread and the potentially devastating results that could cause.
Arson Reduction Manager, Roly Bayley said:
“Nuisance fire setting in Warwickshire has already led to the death of two Warwickshire residents this year and we want to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Often young people don’t realise how quickly fire spreads and so what started off as a bit of fun can easily end with disastrous consequences.
“By directly targeting those communities affected, we have been able to put a stop to persistent offenders through a range of intervention activities including educating young people about the very real dangers they face. We hope that this will help communities feel safer and will encourage residents to report suspicious or anti-social behaviour in their area.
Chief Inspector Chris Walton, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Commander said :
“The joint working between the Fire and Rescue Service is second to none in the Borough due to the daily interaction between the Arson Reduction Team based in the Justice Centre and Safer Neighbourhood Policing teams. This has enabled a combined approach to take place in combating this potentially serious issue by both services working to address the problem. Communities need to have the confidence to contact their Safer Neighbourhood Teams to address any future incidents of this kind.”
For more information on arson reduction initiatives in your area, please contact the Arson Reduction Team on 02476 483205.