Warning as fire crew attacks continue

A Northern Ireland fire chief warned today that one of his officers will be killed soon if gang attacks on crews continue.

A fireman was treated in hospital for head and neck injuries after the latest attack in west Belfast.

Area Commander Chris Kerr said people were getting sick pleasure from attacks on his officers, which he branded “recreational violence”.

He said he was convinced the violence had been premeditated and the fire started deliberately to lure officers to the attack.

Mr Kerr revealed that during the latest violence people had been using mobile phones to take pictures of what was happening.

A fire crew was set upon by up to 20 youths when they went to put out a rubbish blaze in the Blacks Road area last night.

During the trouble a youth ran up to an officer and hurled a large rock at his head.

Mr Kerr said his crews were “subject to some form of recreational violence where people are deriving a sick pleasure from firefighters being called to a scene and then being attacked”.

“Crews have reported to me that people were taking mobile phone photographs of crews being attacked when they were at Blacks Road.”

He said it was the latest and most serious in a series of attacks over the last 10 days.

“I honestly believe that if it is not stopped we are going to have a tragedy on our hands. This could have been a fatal incident last night,” he said.