UK: Firefighters Attacked by Race Gang

http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=1491 in Oldham were pelted with missiles and racially abused by a gang of louts in a second sickening attack this month.

Just weeks after concern was raised nationally about the number of attacks on Britain’s http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=3196, a Chadderton team ran a gauntlet of abuse as they dealt with a blaze in Westwood.

They are calling for community leaders to take action and deal with gangs of yobs saying arson and trouble with teenagers is frequent in that area.

Around a dozen Asian youths, aged from 14 to 18, started a rubbish fire on Dew Way, close to the Tesco superstore, at around 7.15pm on Tuesday and then attacked firefighters as they extinguished the blaze.

Watch commander Mike Harris said: “Lots of youths local to that area threw missiles at us and were also shouting http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=2551. No one was hurt as we are trained to deal with these things and back off.“As serving firefighters we don’t need that kind of abuse. We don’t feel good about it at all. We are supposed to protect these people and they are attacking us. It’s about time local community leaders had a chat with them.”

The fire crew waited for police to arrive, at which point the gang fled. CCTV on the fire engine captured the incident and has been passed to police.

A police spokesman said officers were on the scene on Tuesday within 17 minutes and conducted a search for the youths but they had fled. Investigations are continuing.

http://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/NEWSTH02.html

2008-02-28