Essex County Fire and Rescue service is to go into battle to impress upon children the dangers of hoax calls.

With hoax and arson attacks on the increase among young people, the worrying trend is damaging the service's ability to get to real fires on time.

This year hoax calls are up from 1,700 to more than 2,000 and malicious fires are up by 37 per cent in Essex.

Following a successful bid Essex County Fire and Rescue Service has been awarded £12,000; part of £1.1m of Government funding nationwide to clamp down on arson.

The lead officer on the Essex project is station officer Nigel Dilley from the Community Fire Safety Support and Service Headquarters in Brentwood.

He said that there is evidence that hoax calls often originate from a desire to impress and create excitement as the appliances roll out. Then the youngster moves onto small fires, which get larger and become malicious arson.

Essex fire and rescue service, which is working in partnership with the Ambulance, Police, Maritime and Coastguard services and local education authority, is to use an adapted programme developed by South Yorkshire service called the Backfire Experience.

A video and training packs will be shown in all 132 schools in Essex, Southend and Thurrock to 11-12 year olds. Part of the £12,000 will fund a part-time assistant to organise the programme of visits.

Published Monday, April 8, 2002