Fire service plea after more than 500 call-outs to bin and rubbish blazes across Tyne and Wear

Issuing a safety message on Easter Monday (Monday, April 18) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) revealed that its crews had been called 510 times to reports of rubbish and waste being set on fire in the past four months.

In a statement, TWFRS outlined a number of measures people could take to ensure the safety of themselves and others, as well as the impact these fires have on the communities its crews serve.

The service said: “Some of those calls relate to bonfires that have been lit to try and dispose of waste while others are linked to anti-social behaviour.

"Not only can this pollute the air or make a mess, it can also put the lives of those responsible at risk.

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“We will work with police and local authorities to try and clear waste and carry out high visible [sic] patrols.”

Advice from TWFRS to help avoid such incidents in the future included; only putting your bins out on collection day and not leaving cardboard or debris next to your bin when you put it out.

Bins could also be tied together to discourage thieves from taking them, a spokesperson said.

In a previous statement issued earlier this month, the service revealed that wheelie bin fires had cost Tyne and Wear taxpayers more than £3,300 in replacements over a three-month period.

At the time of that statement, there had been 132 wheelie bin fires across the service area since the start of 2022, with the majority of those attributed to “teenage anti-social behaviour”.

TWFRS reminded families across the North East that information about deliberate fire-setting can be reported to the emergency services.

On Easter Monday, the service added: “All these little steps can help us work together to create the safest communities across Tyne and Wear.”

Information about deliberate fires can be reported to the relevant police force through their website. You can also contact FireStoppers anonymously on 0800 169 5558.