South Wales fire crime unit cuts arson in 'hotspots'

There was an increase in deliberate van fires in December when vehicles such as this one in Caerau, Cardiff, were towed to locations and burned

Anti-social behaviour fell by a quarter in Newport following joint patrols between police and firefighters, the head of a fire crime unit has said.

The South Wales Fire and Rescue Service team targeted areas where there had been a spike in fires and disorder.

It has completed 48 patrols in Newport, Caerphilly, Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent since October.

Between October and December, there was also a 6% reduction in arson in Newport.

Matt Jones, boss of the fire unit, said the team looked at areas where there had been fly-tipping as they could become scenes for arson.

He said overall, south Wales has seen a 6% increase in deliberately set fires, adding: "We are working hard to drive it down as they have a huge effect on people's lives."

In November, an incident of arson at a stable in Cefn Fforest, Caerphilly county, led to the death of a horse

The main problem areas are the Cardiff, Newport and Caerphilly local authority areas - with the unit set up to reduce the £7m cost of arson in south Wales each year.

There are eight people in the team - based at stations including Alway in Newport, Blackwood in Caerphilly county and Tredegar in Blaenau Gwent - where they work with neighbourhood policing teams.

Another link the team has found to rises in anti-social behaviour is truancy - with officers visiting schools and youth clubs to speak to children.

When a "hotspot" is identified, days of action are also arranged - with initiatives such as community litter picks and providing youngsters with the chance to be a fire officer for the day.

One success was Operation Bang over Halloween which helped reduce incidents of arson by 34%, from 63 in 2016 to 43 in 2017.

Firefighters work with Gwent Police at a road safety event

The team also inspects buildings vulnerable to arson - such as this one in Aberbargoed