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Advice sessions held for young arsonists

Young arsonists in the West Midlands are undergoing advice sessions in a bid to stop them from deliberately starting fires, it has emerged today.

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Young arsonists in the West Midlands are undergoing advice sessions in a bid to stop them from deliberately starting fires, it has emerged today.

Community safety officers at West Midlands Fire Service are holding one-to-one talks called 'fire-setter tutoring' with more than 150 youngsters.

But they say that figure only "scratches the surface" and that the problem of children starting blazes is probably more widespread. Youngsters are referred to them by schools, social services or parents.

Fire safety officer Natalie Twells said: "Those young people we deal with are the ones that have been caught.

"The children we speak to range from those with a fascination of lighting matches to incidents of kids burning houses down."

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