Fire chiefs warn over refuse cuts

Edinburgh Council staff tend to mountains of rubbish

Fire chiefs have said plans to cut back on council refuse collections could increase the number of blazes and the cost of dealing with them.

Rescue services attend about 20,000 calls to fires in rubbish bins and refuse skips each year, at a cost of about £40m.

The Chief Fire Officers Association of Scotland has voiced concern over plans to move to fortnightly uplift schemes.

Leaving rubbish lying around longer will encourage firebugs, they said.

Chief Fire Officer Brian Sweeney said: "Fire setting is an opportunistic low-level crime mainly carried out by children and young people.

"Overflowing bins and rubbish skips from commercial and household waste, together with illegal dumping of waste materials, is providing a ready source of combustible materials for young fire setters and as a result fire vandalism is on the increase.

"We can no longer accept the high levels of fire-setting and fire vandalism within communities and the associated waste of public money, health and environmental risks."

They would have done careful calculations before making any change Cosla spokesman

The association has also called for urging restrictions on the sale of cigarette lighters and matches to children and young people, alongside tougher penalties for fire-raisers.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) said councils always thought carefully before making changes to rubbish collections.

"They do not take these decisions lightly," a spokesman said.

"They would have done careful calculations before making any change."

Only about a third of Scotland's 32 local authorities had fortnightly collections, he said.

This was an individual decision for each council, the spokesman added.