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8 out of 10 fires in West Yorkshire by arsonists
ALMOST eight out of 10 fires in West Yorkshire are started deliberately, new figures published in Parliament have revealed.
Of the 14,854 fires tackled by West Yorkshire firefighters in 2008/09, 11,588, or 78 per cent, were started on purpose.
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The statistics published by Fire Minister and Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik revealed that only Cleveland at 89 per cent and Tyne and Wear at 80 per cent had higher arson rates.
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West Yorkshire's percentage of deliberate fires was the same as that in Merseyside, while it was higher than the rate in South Yorkshire at 76 per cent, Greater Manchester at 75 per cent and Greater London 34 per cent.
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The region's fire brigade today insisted that the number of arson attacks has dramatically fallen during the last decade.
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The number of deliberate primary – or more serious – fires in 2009/10 is estimated to be 2,148, compared to 8,513 in 2001/02 – a reduction of almost 75 per cent.
Craig McIntosh, assistant chief fire officer at West Yorkshire Fire Service, said: "The figures do not surprise me – they are pretty much in line with the other metropolitan areas but what we have achieved is significant in terms of driving the number of fires down.
"We are reducing fires, both accidental and deliberate, by huge amounts. We have reduced the level of arson by more than any metropolitan area".
The fire service has established a two-year Young Firefighters' Scheme, which offers teenagers a BTEC qualification in basic firefighting skills and fire awareness. Around 200 young people finish the scheme each year, with around 500 taking part in the programme, which involves a half day a week of study, at any one time.
The West Yorkshire brigade has also established series of "arson taskforces", which target areas where there are high levels of antisocial behaviour and car crime – both of which lead to a high rate of deliberate fires.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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