A DUNDEE fire chief says kids need better education to stop them setting deliberate fires.
Firefighters were called to a spate of small blazes in the North East ward, which covers areas including Whitfield and Fintry, on Sunday.
That came after service bosses had highlighted deliberate fires as an ongoing issue at a recent community meeting in the area.
An average of 44 deliberate fires are being set every four months in the ward.
Mark Crush, a local risk manager in Dundee, says teaching youngsters about the dangers of fire is the best way to get the numbers down.
He said: “The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has to look at diversion activities for children.
“We need to get youths and children away from this behaviour and get them interested in something else.”
According to Mr Crush, this is done by offering advice on safety and working alongside the police and community safety wardens.
He said: “We find that across the north of the city, the number of deliberate fires remains consistent each quarter.
“So, we work very closely with the police and the council’s community wardens to try to combat this problem.
“If there is waste lying around, or something like a settee, then the council’s rapid response team will take it away.
“We don’t want anyone to get injured, so we try to educate of the dangers of this behaviour.
“In among waste can be things like aerosol cans, which could explode, and while it might not cause you any damage, it could be a small child who comes across it and is hurt.
“I’d urge people to clear waste from around their homes.”
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has made a concerted effort to tackle deliberate fire setting in Dundee, with cases falling from 846 in 2009/10 to just 155 last year.