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More than 100 Staffordshire arson attacks in two weeks, say fire chiefs

Firefighters tackled more than 100 small grass and bin fires across Staffordshire, with chiefs admitting it is 'far too many'.

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Crews were called to 13 incidents in the east of the county, 22 in the west and 68 in the north – a total of 103 during the Easter holidays. The number was down compared to the same period in 2013 when there were 196 fires and slightly up on 2014 when there were 102.

Jim Bywater, head of risk reduction at Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Crews dealt with more than 100 grass fires during the Easter holiday which, although, is an improvement on two years ago, it is still far too many.

"This type of nuisance incident can take vital resources away from other potentially life-threatening situations, such as road traffic collisions or house fires. They also endanger the lives of firefighters who are called to tackle the blazes as well as members of the community and, in rural areas, local wildlife can also be negatively affected."

He added: "Anti-social behaviour such as this can have long lasting consequences for the culprits, including a fine or even a prison sentence. And having a criminal record, can impact on future career prospects of those responsible. It may seem like a bit of fun but the possible repercussions are no laughing matter."

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