Children hurled stones at firefighters yesterday afternoon as they returned from a false alarm call.

The Odsal crew was travelling along Southfield Lane, Bradford, when the children in school uniforms threw the missiles. One hit a fire engine window but didn't cause damage.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on fire crews which at one stage saw them having to abandon fires for fear of injury.

Station officer Frank Hutchinson, from Odsal, said: "We are trying to get round to the schools to explain to children and make them realise we are not the bad guys.

"You can't say it's just the way children are because it's not all of them - these attacks are just from a small minority.

"This is the first one we have faced this year but there have been quite a few others recently."

He added: "The children were outside Grange Grammar School at about 3.20pm and someone threw a stone at the fire engine, hitting a window."

The spate of attacks began around Bonfire Night last year when children who had started fires threw fireworks and other missiles, including stones, at crews.

But the attacks did not stop when Bonfire Night was over. Crews have been regularly peppered with stones and rocks while on 999 calls.

Efforts to stop the vandals were stepped up when West Yorkshire's Chief Officer, Phil Toase, announced the fire service would publish video images of youths filmed during assaults on crews and added it would also consider prosecuting offenders.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: "This kind of behaviour is reckless. Throwing stones at moving emergency services vehicles can endanger the lives of those inside and prevents them reaching people who urgently need their help.

"Anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly."