Fire fighters attacked by group of youths in West Lothian
The fire service has condemned an attack on firefighters attending a blaze in West Lothian
Firefighters had bricks and bottles thrown at them whilst attending a fire in West Lothian on Monday (March 21).
The Scottish fire and rescue service has condemned the actions of a "group of youths" and warned such behavior will not be tolerated.
The firefighters were forced to withdraw from battling a blaze in an area of woodland in Harthill Road, Fauldhouse at around half past six in the evening.
They had to wait until Police arrived before continuing to extinguish the fire.
SFRS Group Commander, Steven Michie said that crews who stand on the frontline to protect people should never be obstructed from carrying out their duties.
He vowed to work with police partners to identify the small minority of those responsible to ensure they face the consequences of their actions.
Group Commander Michie said: “I would like to stress that this behaviour – by a very small minority of individuals – is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Wherever possible we will identify those responsible and pass that information to our police partners. This can have serious consequences for those involved. It can even affect future employment prospects due to having a criminal record.
“Fortunately, there were no injuries to firefighters or damage to the fire engine in attendance at this incident. But this type of behaviour cannot be condoned, and we would urge the majority of law-abiding residents to alert the police to any such reckless activity. Young people can also provide information anonymously via the Fearless Crimestoppers website.”