SPENNYMOOR residents are being urged to report youngsters playing on a empty factory site after firefighters were called out three times in 12 hours.

All three fires on the old Watson's warehouse, at Green Lane, overnight yesterday were started deliberately.

The first, at around 7.30pm on Saturday, sent black smoke from burning rubber billowing into the sky and several people rang 999 to raise the alarm.

Crews were called out again at 5.30am and 9.30 yesterday.

Station manager Tony Grufferty, of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue, said the empty site was a prime target for vandals and arsonists.

The fires were started in old packaging, rubbish and wood left in the 120m long warehouse and nearby outbuildings.

He said: "Something needs to be done about it. We work with the Town Council, police and street wardens so there are things we can do to keep people of the land but we need to know when they are there.

"It is right to report a fire but we also need people to ring in if they see them hanging around on the site.

"There are some houses in the area so somebody will see this happening.

"These were not serious fires, although there was a lot of black smoke which could be seen from quite a wide area.

"But sites like this are always dangerous places. Nobody should be on them."

Contact police on 0845-60-60-365.