Firefighters have called for more protection after a new report revealed a shocking catalogue of attacks against crews who face the daily threat of being ambushed, shot at, stabbed and abused.
The Fire Brigades Union claimed that the number of incidents is increasing even though official figures show a fall in attacks against crews.
The union estimated there are 40 attacks on firemen and women every week and said the number of incidents recorded by fire authorities in England and Wales are four times those in the official Government statistics.
Attacks increased by 15% last year but official Government figures showed a dramatic fall of 68%, said the union. In some parts of the country, attacks are so frequent that they are no longer reported, according to the FBU.
Firefighters have been pelted with bricks, bottles and stones as they tried to tackle fires and have been lured into ambushes by hoax calls, according to the report.
Some people have set booby traps for crews who have also been attacked with knives, petrol bombs and lumps of wood.
FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said it is almost "beyond belief" that firemen and women can be attacked so viciously while fighting fires and trying to save lives.
"In some areas, attacking fire crews has become a recreational activity with very serious consequences. It cannot be part of anyone's job to face abuse, threats or attacks."
The report, Easy Targets?, said fire authorities struggle to deal with the problem but need more money to give decent protection to firefighters and catch attackers. In Tyne and Wear, crews have been given "spit kits" so that DNA can be collected from people abusing or spitting at them.
"The Government needs to take a lead rather than sitting on the sidelines ignoring the problem as it is doing in England. It is a different story in Scotland, Northern Ireland and increasingly in Wales where politicians are playing a more direct and active role," said Mr Wrack.
