Attacks on firefighters have risen in the past year – and almost half of all attacks in West Yorkshire have involved Bradford crews.
These attacks included one incident where a Bradford firefighter was hit with a stone.
In the nine months between the start of the municipal year in April and December there has been 68 attacks on fire crews in West Yorkshire – more than the total for the previous 12 months (66).
Of these 68 attacks, 33 were in Bradford, with crews from the Bradford Station on Leeds Road alone being victim to 20 attacks in nine months.
Five incidents in Bradford involved firefighters being physically assaulted, eight involved fireworks being thrown at firefighters and eight involved stones being thrown.
One involved a weapon being brandished at fire crews.
Referring to the Bradford incidents, the report said: “At one of these incidents a firefighter was hit with a stone thrown by a member of the public.
“Five of these attacks have resulted in minor damage to our fire appliances with one causing severe damage to the fire appliance shattering a window and denting panels.”
The report was discussed at a a meeting of West Yorkshire Fire Authority on Friday.
Bradford Councillor Mike Pollard (Cons, Baildon) said: “It is depressing to see that Bradford tops the league table for attacks on firefighters again.”
There were 19 attacks in the Leeds District, seven in Kirklees, five in Wakefield and four in Calderdale.
