Police warning after spate of bin fires

A BIG increase in the number of arson attacks involving wheelie bins at Warrington has prompted a warning from police.
Residents and business owners in the borough are being urged by firefighters to only leave wheelie bins outside on collection day.
Deliberate torching of bins has increased over the past two weeks, with fire crews dealing with numerous wheelie bins.
The increase is believed to be due to the time of year – Halloween and Bonfire Night – and it coinciding with half term.
Firefighters are appealing for those responsible to consider the possible fatal consequences of starting fires deliberately.
They are also asking people living or working in Warrington to take measures to prevent their wheelie bins from becoming a target for arsonists.
The fire service advice is:
• Store all wheelie bins away, especially at night, to avoid them becoming a target for arsonists
• Only place your wheelie bin outside on collection day and return it to a safe place in your property as soon as possible after collection
• Whenever possible wheelie bins should be stored securely behind locked gates
• Do not overfill your wheelie bins or leave loose rubbish around them
Warrington Fire Station Manager Neil Winstanley said: “This is an extremely dangerous form of anti-social behaviour that could result in putting the lives of the community and properties at risk.
“While we are working closely with our partners to tackle this issue we also need the public’s help to stop wheelie bins being a target for arsonists. The public can do this by following our safety advice.
“This time of year is one of the busiest for us and dealing with nuisance deliberate acts like this prevents us from attending other incidents and keeping the rest of the community safe.”
Anyone with information about wheelie bins being set on fire should contact Cheshire Police on 101, give the details online at https://www.cheshire.police.uk/contact/general-enquiries or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
If you see a fire do not attempt to tackle it yourself, instead call 999 immediately.