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

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

The first, at around 7.30pm, sent black smoke from burning rubber billowing into the sky and several people called the fire brigade.

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

Station manager Tony Grufferty, of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, 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.

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 off 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 young people 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."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 0845-60-60-365.