FIREFIGHTERS have called on people to be vigilant in an attempt to crack down on deliberate fires that cost the brigade thousands of pounds a year.

Cleveland Fire Brigade has said it is worried about the number of deliberate fires started, particularly in South Bank. They estimate that for each fire it costs the brigade £200.

Trevor Moody, station officer at Grangetown, is urging people to identify any unoccupied houses or abandoned cars that are of particular concern.

He said: "We need people to contact ourselves, or their local authorities, when they notice a house that is unoccupied and may have become the subject of vandalism. We can then work together to ensure it is properly secured.

"Deliberate fires are a big problem on Teesside and are a great drain on our time and resources with an average cost of £200 for every call."

Firefighters are concerned that often arson, particularly involving unoccupied houses, does not only result in damage to the property, but also endangers the lives of people living next door or close by.

Mr Moody said that although these fires do have the potential to be serious he is also concerned about the wider consequences.

He said: "When dealing with these types of fires we are not there for other serious incidents and they tie up our engines.

"This means we have to get a crew and engine from another station to deal with the more serious incident and that adds to our attendance time."

A further fire hazard is the accumulation of rubbish and furniture in back alleys. People are being encouraged to help prevent it being set alight by contacting fire officers or their local safety wardens to have it removed.

Mr Moody said: "I would ask residents to help us tackle this problem and contact us if they notice any properties need action to remove the risk, or if they spot piles of rubbish."

Grangetown Fire Station can be contacted on (01642) 452345, or for the rest of Teesside ring Cleveland Fire Brigade headquarters on (01429) 872311.