CRIMES taking place on Halloween in Bradford are rising and hundreds of antisocial behaviour incidents have taken place in the last three years.

Figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request found the total number of crimes have surpassed 200 on Halloween since 2015.

In 2014, West Yorkshire Police recorded 109 crimes on October 31, but 105 more were logged a year later, and the number has continued to rise.

Two hundred and twenty two crimes took place on Halloween in 2016 followed by 236 last year.

Criminal damage and violent attacks were the most frequent crimes, while 85 antisocial behaviour incidents happened in 2015.

There were 107 in 2016, and 120 last year.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of attacks on emergency services and members of the public in recent weeks.

Bricks have been thrown at police and firefighters during 999 calls and fireworks were brazenly thrown at cars in Thornton Road, narrowly missing a moped.

Councillors are now urging people to behave responsibly and shopkeepers urged to stay within the law to prevent the night getting out of hand.

On Tuesday night, firefighters called to the Parkside Road area of West Bowling were subjected to racial abuse before having stones and bricks thrown at their fire engine.

A spokesman for Odsal Fire Station said: “We attended a bonfire, and as firefighters were putting the fire out they were subjected to some nasty racial abuse.

“We left the area, and as we were leaving our fire engine was bricked.

“There wasn’t much damage, but that’s not the point.”

Last week, it was revealed fire crews are having to be escorted by police to fires in certain areas of Bradford because of the risk of being targeted by youths hurling fireworks and other missiles.

A 15-year-old was arrested on Tuesday for using fireworks to “cause alarm and distress” at the Khidmat Centre, in Spencer Road, last Sunday.

Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, said Halloween was supposed to be fun.

She said: "Bonfire night and Halloween are times for coming together and having fun. But I would urge the small minority of people who tend to cause trouble to have respect for the emergency services, and for their fellow Bradfordians.

“Our police force is stretched to the limit, and selfish acts of anti-social behaviour only take up precious police time that would be better spent elsewhere at this busy time of year.”

Cllr Abdul Jabar, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: “Antisocial behaviour in any form is simply unacceptable and we support the police in their work to tackle crime wherever it occurs.

“We call on people to behave responsibly and respectfully towards each other while having fun at Halloween and Bonfire Night, as at any other time throughout the year.”

Cllr Alan Wainwright, a ward councillor for Tong, said: “I condemn any type of antisocial behaviour, whether they are caused by people throwing fireworks or whatever means.

“I respect the emergency services because they have a difficult job when lunatics start lobbing bricks at them."

Superintendent Daniel Greenwood, of Bradford District, said: “What some people see as a bit of harmless fun can cause a great deal of anxiety for vulnerable people. If people choose to commit criminal offences under the guise of ‘having fun’ we will continue to take action.”

“There cannot and will not be any excuse for individuals to make people scared in their own homes, recklessly cause danger to road users or risk the safety of my officers, firefighters or any other emergency service responders, regardless of the time of year.”