Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have joined forces with Staffordshire Police following the publication of the statistics in an effort to put an end to the life-threatening crime and ward off any potential offenders.

Incidents included a blaze at Tutbury Village Hall in July which left thousands of pounds of damage after bins were deliberately set on fire.

Director of prevent and protect Dean Stevens said: “Quite simply people who commit arson are putting lives at risk their own lives, the lives of members of the public and the lives of our firefighters who are sent to tackle the incidents.

“It’s not just the arson attack itself; our crews can’t be in two places at once, so while they are dealing with a deliberate fire there could be someone trapped in a car or a building in urgent need of our help somewhere else....cont

For advice on how to reduce the risk of losing your business to fire, call FSS Ltd on 01246 434 314.