Gang of 40 attack engineers fixing fire hydrant in Huyton

Several homes in Huyton were left without water after a fire hydrant was deliberately set off

A group of 40 people attacked engineers who had been called out to fix a fire hydrant which had deliberately been set off, United Utilities (UU) has said.

It left several homes in Bruton Road, Huyton, without water on Monday, one of the hottest days of the year.

The vandals threw bricks and abused engineers as they tried to fix the tap and restore supplies, UU said.

Phil Sweeney, from UU, said fire hydrant abuse was "dangerous, costly, and an incredible waste of water".

He added: "Those who vandalise hydrants are not only putting themselves at risk of injury from highly pressurised water, they are also impacting our ability to keep water flowing to homes, businesses, hospitals and vulnerable customers.

"Ultimately, this type of abuse could impact on the fire service's ability to tackle a blaze, whether at a property or on moorland, and put lives at risk."

'Unacceptable behaviour'

Insp Mark Berry, from Merseyside Police, said the incident was "selfish and irresponsible".

"Access to water supplies is essential, particularly during the current spell of very hot weather, and this sort of behaviour, whilst it may seem fun to some, has a direct impact on other people, including the elderly and those with young children and babies."

"Abusing workers and emergency services who attend to deal with the incidents is clearly unacceptable and such behaviour will be dealt with."

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