Fire officers have reacted angrily to reports that their crews were attacked at an incident in Sheffield on Sunday (5 November).

Firefighters from Central fire station were responding to reports of fires which had been deliberately set near Grimesthorpe Road South, Grimesthorpe at around 9.30pm.

Whilst tackling the blazes, objects were thrown at the fire engine and crew. No firefighters were injured, but the window of one of the fire engines was damaged, making the vehicle unavailable to attend further emergencies.

Firefighters withdrew until police arrived, before continuing to extinguish the fires.

Area Manager Tony Carlin at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said; “We are absolutely appalled that our firefighters appear to have been targeted in this way.

“Attacks like this place the safety of our firefighters, and the people they are trying to protect, at risk. Thankfully, this type of incident is extremely rare in South Yorkshire and it is only a tiny minority of people who would ever consider acting in such an irresponsible and dangerous way.

“However, even one attack on a firefighter is completely unacceptable – and we will work alongside the police to fully investigate any attacks and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

If you have any information about this attack please call 101, quoting police incident number 1221 (5 November).