Attacks on Britain's firefighters are at an all-time high and the Fire Brigades Union says it is only a matter of time before a firefighter is killed.
CCTV images shown to Sky News reveal the violence fire crews face on a daily basis.
The FBU says some attacks are by children as young as six and, in some cases, gas cylinders are deliberately left in blazing buildings.
The union quotes Government figures showing, in a 10-month period, 393 attacks on firefighters in England and Wales, while there were 338 in Scotland over a 12-month period.
But only one-third of brigades submitted details and the FBU estimates the true figure for the UK could be as high as 120 attacks a week.
Sky News' north of England correspondent Michelle May has been out with firefighters in Greater Manchester.
Oldham's Project Firefly The chief fire officer Barry Dixon told her he blames a diet of violent videos and games.
"I don't think they understand the consequences of what they see," he said.
"When they try and emulate that, they do not see the ongoing consequences - that people could be killed."
Project Firefly has been set up in Oldham to bring teenagers into stations and see the dangerous job at first hand.
It costs £400 per child but, since Firefly began, attacks in the area have dropped by 55%.
What firefighters in England and Wales are also calling for is the same legal protection as in Scotland, where it is a specific offence to attack an emergency worker.
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1209153,00.html
Click on link to article to see videos of attacks
CCTV images shown to Sky News reveal the violence fire crews face on a daily basis.
The FBU says some attacks are by children as young as six and, in some cases, gas cylinders are deliberately left in blazing buildings.
The union quotes Government figures showing, in a 10-month period, 393 attacks on firefighters in England and Wales, while there were 338 in Scotland over a 12-month period.
But only one-third of brigades submitted details and the FBU estimates the true figure for the UK could be as high as 120 attacks a week.
Sky News' north of England correspondent Michelle May has been out with firefighters in Greater Manchester.
Oldham's Project Firefly The chief fire officer Barry Dixon told her he blames a diet of violent videos and games.
"I don't think they understand the consequences of what they see," he said.
"When they try and emulate that, they do not see the ongoing consequences - that people could be killed."
Project Firefly has been set up in Oldham to bring teenagers into stations and see the dangerous job at first hand.
It costs £400 per child but, since Firefly began, attacks in the area have dropped by 55%.
What firefighters in England and Wales are also calling for is the same legal protection as in Scotland, where it is a specific offence to attack an emergency worker.
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1209153,00.html
Click on link to article to see videos of attacks
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