Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service will not attend call outs in West Denton without police support following the "worst attack that has happened in Tyne and Wear".
Teenage thugs are reported to have thrown a petrol bomb and a heavy glass bottle at firefighters who were called to a car fire in West Denton at around 6.30pm on Saturday. It is alleged that the group of approximately six teenagers aged around 14-years-old then prevented crew from leaving the area by barricading the fire appliance using sandbags and fencing.
Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther said the shocking incident was "some of the worst attacks I've known in my 26 year career". And in a move to protect firefighters has implemented an exclusion zone in the area, meaning the fire service will not attend calls to a fire in West Denton unless there is a police escort and a risk assessment has been carried out.
