OVER half of all attacks on firefighters in West Yorkshire over a nine month period took place in the Bradford area.

They included one case where a firefighter was assaulted when attending an incident in Bingley, fireworks and eggs being thrown at a crew in Bradford on Bonfire Night and a man exposing himself to firefighters in a Keighley park in full view of children.

A new report by West Yorkshire Fire Authority reveals that between April and December there were 68 attacks on firefighters in West Yorkshire.

Of these, 38 took place in the Bradford area, 15 took place in Leeds, 10 in Kirklees, four in Calderdale and one in Wakefield.

On Bonfire night alone Bradford district fire fighters were attacked on six occasions - five of which involved fireworks being thrown at crews.

Many of the incidents involved gangs of youths descending on fire crews after they were called to deal with bonfires.

Some involved firefighters being verbally abused by people whose homes they were trying to save while others involved firefighters having lasers shone at their eyes.

'It won't have been an impressive sight' - man exposed himself to firefighters in Keighley

This is the list of incidents:

Bradford

On 6th April at 1715 hours whilst attending an incident on Warrenton Place, Lidget Green, involving a boy stuck on a roof, a group of boys threw stones at the crews.

On 13th April at 1950 hours whilst attending a bin fire in the park at Horton Park, Horton Park Lane crews came under attack from youths throwing missiles and threatening to set more fires. The police were called but the youths continued to throw articles at the crews and the police.

On 20th April at 1025 hours crews were attending a smell of burning at a home on William Street, Denholme when the occupier became aggressive towards the crew.

On 26th April at 2220 hours when called to a dwelling on William Street, Denholme the occupier refused to let crews in and was verbally abusive towards them.

On 3rd May at 2015 hours youths threw stones at crews whilst they attended and incident in Wibsey Park on Reevy Avenue. Bradford.

On 13th May at 1845 hours whilst attending an incident at Yorkshire Martyrs Catholic College a projectile was thrown at the appliance damaging the window on the driver’s side.

On 18th May at 2215 hours crews received verbal threats whilst attending an incident in the field of Cedar Drive, Wyke.

On 24th May at 1810 hours whilst attending an incident on Mount Street, Bradford crews were threatened by a motorist because the crews had closed the road in order to deal with the incident.

On 5th June at 0010 hours crews were verbally abused and had objects thrown at them whilst attending an incident at Lindley Park, Roundhill Street, Bradford.

On 23rd July at 2150 hours whilst attending a fire on playing fields to the rear of Reevy Crescent, Bradford approximately 8 boys between the ages of 12 and 15 got very aggressive and threatened to relight the fire if crews extinguished it.

On 12th August at 2210 hours whilst dealing with a wheelie bin fire on Strensall Green, Bradford stones were thrown at the crew.

On 29th August at 2130 hours crews suffered verbal abuse whilst dealing with a fire in the open at Ash Fold, Bradford.

On 17th September at 1520 hours crews were subjected to aggressive behaviour and offensive language whilst attending an incident at Spring Gardens Lane, Keighley.

On 25th September at 2100 hours whilst attending an incident at Spencer Road Playing Fields, Bradford missiles were thrown at the crews by a group of youths, narrowly missing a firefighter.

On 29th September at 2030 hours whilst attending a fire in the open on Dracup Avenue, Scholemoor, missiles were thrown at the crew by a group of youths, narrowly missing two firefighters.

On 30th September there were four attacks on firefighters:

At 1700 hours a group of youths threw stones at the crew as they attended a fire on Scholemoor Avenue, Bradford.

At 1837 hours whilst attending a fire in the open at Lonsdale Street, Bradford a group of youths threw fireworks onto the fire, verbally abused the crews and shone laser pens into their eyes.

At 2005 hours whilst attending a fire in the open on Back Kirkham Road, youths threw fireworks at the appliance.

At 2115 hours whilst attending a fire on Scholemoor, Ash Fold, Bradford youths threw fireworks which struck the appliance.

On 1st October at 1905 hours whilst attending a fire in the open on West Park Road in Bradford, crews were attacked by a group of youths who threw fireworks and bricks which damaged the appliance.

On 3rd October at 1910 hours whilst dealing with a fire in the open in Devonshire Park, Keighley crews were subjected to verbal abuse from a number of youths.

On 9th October at 1945 hours on Parkside Road, Bradford whilst attending a fire in the open crews were subjected to racial verbal abuse, stone throwing and threatening behaviour from approximately 12 youths.

On 24th October at 1530 hours whilst at an incident in Devonshire Park, Keighley crews received verbal abuse from a group of males, one of which exposed himself to the crews whilst young children and families were also in the park.

On 27th October at 2140 hours missiles were thrown at crews whilst attending a fire at Lupton Street, Bradford.

On 29th October at 1717 hours fireworks were thrown at crews and the appliance whilst attending a fire in the open on Woodhead Road, Bradford.

On 1st November at 2100 hours fireworks were thrown at crews whilst they attended a fire on Hopbine Avenue, Bradford.

On 2nd November at 2315 hours whilst attending a large bonfire on Burneston Gardens, Bradford fireworks were thrown at crews.

On 5th November at 1735 hours crews were threatened and verbally abused whilst attending a fire at Vernon Court, Keighley.

On 5th November there were 5 attacks involving fireworks thrown at crews as follows:-

1800 hours whilst attending a fire on Great Horton Road, Bradford.

1830 hours whilst attending a fire on Cartmel Road, Keighley.

1940 hours whilst assessing a fire on Drewry Road, Keighley.

2015 hours whilst attending an incident on Alexandra Street, Great Horton.

2030 hours whilst attending an incident on Leeds Road, Bradford – eggs were also thrown at crews at this incident.

On 6th November at 1830 hours crews were stoned whilst attending a fire on Green Lane, Lidget Green, Bradford.

On 6th November at 1855 hours whilst attending a small fire in the open on Lonsdale Street, Bradford missiles were thrown at the crews.

On 6th November at 1910 hours objects were thrown at crews and the appliance whilst the attended an incident at Hendford Drive, Bradford.

On 14th December at 1530 hours the occupier of a house on Lower Lane, Bradford became abusive and threatening towards crews whilst they attended an incident as his premises.

On 16th December at 1210 hours a man became extremely aggressive and physically assaulted a firefighter whilst they attended an incident at Parkfield Gardens, Bingley.

Calderdale

On 12th May at 0230 hours crews attended a dwelling fire on Slade Lane, Rastrick the officer in charge of the incident was physically attacked by the occupier.

On 1st July at 1945 hours whilst attending a large grass fire in Canterbury Crescent, Halifax crews were subjected to verbal abuse by youths.

On 8th August at 1900 hours whilst attending an incident at Cousin Lane, Halifax, youths threw stones at the crew and also put an LPG cylinder onto the fire.

On 5th November at 1930 hours eggs were thrown at crews whilst they attended a fire in the open on Cedar Street, Halifax.

Kirklees

On 14th April at 2040 hours whilst attending an incident at Riddings Rise, Deighton the occupier became verbally abusive towards the crew.

On 11th May at 2240 hours whilst attending a fire at Grasscroft Road, Marsh the occupiers became verbally abusive towards the crews.

On 27th May at 2310 hours a laser pen was pointed at crews whilst they responded to an incident on The Crescent, Ravensthorpe. The occupier also became abusive and admitted causing the fire.

On 3rd August 2018 at 2230 hours whilst attending an incident at Taylor Hall Lane, Mirfield crews received verbal abuse from a group of teenagers.

On 18th August at 2025 hours whilst attending an incident on Slipper Lane, Mirfield approximately 6-8 youths verbally abused crews.

On 3rd September at 1345 hours whilst attending controlled burning in a garden on Briggate, Dalton, Huddersfield the occupier verbally accused crews and threatened them with a garden fork.

On 13th November at 1639 hours crews were verbally abused whilst attending a small fire in the open on Walpole Road Recreation Ground, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield. Crews were called back to this location at 1850 hours and received the same abuse.

On 26th November at 1639 hours crews were verbally abused whilst attending a building fire on Wellington Street, Cleckheaton.

On 26th November at 1700 hours crews were verbally abused by the occupier of a house on Wellington Street, Liversedge as they tried to tackle a fire in the kitchen.

Leeds

On 15th May at 1920 hours whilst leaving an incident on Aysgarth Place, Cross Green a group of seven male and female youths threw stones at the crews.

On 21st May at 2129 hours whilst attending a hedge on fire at Broadlea Terrace, Bramley one of the occupiers of a house nearby was clearly under the influence and was threatening towards other neighbours who had gathered. At one stage he retreated to his house and returned brandishing a machete and struck one of the members of the public. He returned to his house and appeared again with another knife and became verbally abusive, a brawl then took place between him and another neighbour. FRS staff and the neighbours managed to restrain the individual before the arrival of the police.

On 9th June at 1055 hours whilst attending controlled burning on Sandy Bank Avenue, Rothwell, the occupier became abusive and threatened crews if they entered his land.

On 25th July at 1900 hours whilst extinguishing a small fire in woods off Barncroft Drive, Leeds crews were verbally abused by a group of 6 teenagers who threw missiles at the crew as they returned to the appliance. The youths then proceeded to light more fires whilst continuing to verbally abuse crews. Police were requested but did not arrive before crews left the scene.

On 28th July at 2345 hours stones were thrown at crews whilst attending a fire in Bramley Park, Westover Road, Bramley.

On 17th August at 0524 hours whilst attending a fire on Heights Drive, Armley the occupier was very aggressive towards the crews.

On 24th September 2018 at 0200 hours whilst attending an incident at Heights Drive, Armley several items were thrown at the crews and appliance.

On 1st October at 1800 hours crews and the occupier of premises on Sholebrook Lane, Pudsey received aggressive behaviour whilst attending a car fire.

On 20th October at 1410 hours crews were verbally abused and threatened with a garden fork whilst attending an incident on Harehills Lane, Harehills.

On 31st October at 2040 crews attended a bin fire on Saville Avenue, Chapeltown and had fireworks thrown at them.

On 31st October at 2055 hours crews were stones whilst attending a bin fire on Sandhurst Terrace, Harehills.

On 5th November at 2045 hours fireworks were thrown at crews whilst attending 4 wheelie bins on fire on Saville Drive, Chapeltown.

On 5th November at 2120 hours fireworks were thrown at crews by a large group of youths who had set wheelie bins alight on Harehills Road, Harehills.

On 2nd December at 0112 hours and at another incident at 0120 hours crews were verbally abused whilst attending a fire in the open on York Street, Leeds.

Wakefield

On 20th April at 2100 hours whilst attending a fire in the open at Barnsley Road, South Kirkby crews were verbally abused.

Two incidents happened on the way to or back from incidents - and so couldn't be classified as a specific district

On 1st September at 1957 hours crews were on their way to a special service call at Shelf Moor, Shelf when they were received threatening behaviour from a group of youths who gesticulated towards the appliance.

On 7th September at 2130 hours at Sandhurst Terrace, Harehills, youths blocked the appliance and once confronted became very abusive and intimidating.

The report says: “The Chief Fire Officer re-emphasises that even one attack is one too many and that every assistance and encouragement will be given to the police to bring offenders to court. Work is continuing with a variety of agencies from the police and district councils to community groups and youth leaders to address these issues.”

The report will be discussed at a meeting of the Authority on Thursday.