Largs Community Resilience Team have joined forced with Scottish Fire and Rescue to remind the public about the dangers of outdoor fires in the better weather.

Each spring the fire service face a spate of outdoor fires many of which are started deliberately, the resilience team pointed out.

A spokesman for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “This places a considerable demand on operational resources, putting firefighters, members of the public and businesses at risk.

There are between 15,000 and 20,000 deliberate fires across Scotland each year and fire setting is the cause of over 60% of all fires attended by us. Reducing the risk arising from deliberate fire setting and fire related anti-social behaviour is the main aim of a new campaign.” “These fires blight our neighbourhoods, damage the environment and can sometimes cause injury or even death.” Members of the public are urged to contact the police if they see anything suspicious in related to fire-raising activities in their neighbourhood.

The spokesman continued: “Police Scotland have the legal responsibility to investigate crimes, make arrests and charge people in order to bring them to justice.

“All we want you to do, is tell us anything you know about fires that have been started in your area. Call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 if you have information about who is responsible. You won’t have to give your name or go to court.”