LOCAL firefighters were ambushed in a weekend attack by a gang of youths in Auchinleck.

Fire crews were called after reports of a fire just off Main Street, Auchinleck, shortly after 10pm on Saturday April 30.

The crews turned up at the scene at an out building on waste ground opposite the Railway Hotel to find a crowd of around twenty youths hanging around a wheelie bin that had been set on fire.

Firefighters went to extinguish the fire and the yobs began hounding them, telling them that they would set another fire as soon as the emergency services left the scene.

Firefighters then warned the gang of the dangers of setting needless fires and as they got set to leave the scene they received a barrage of abuse as the gang shouted and swore at them and then began lobbing stones and bottles at the crew.

Fortunately no injuries were sustained in the attack and police were called.

Cumnock Station Manager, Alan Coughtrie said: "There are three concerns for me here. Firstly, I'm concerned for the safety of our crews. When you get a call to go out to something like a wheelie bin on fire, the last thing you expect is to be attacked like that. All it takes is for one of our staff to get injured and that can seriously affect our response times to more serious incidents.

"There's also a concern that our fire engines could easily get called out to a needless fire and all it take is for a headlight to get smashed for example and that puts the appliance off the road. It's not safe for use. Then we may have to call in an appliance from further afield to deal with an emergency.

"These needless fires also direct our crews away from other more serious incidents. I don't know where their thoughts lie when they do something like this."

The youth scarpered before police arrived at the scene.

Inspector Colin Shearer from Cumnock Police Office said: "This type of action is completely deplorable and it's unacceptable behaviour.

"Anyone caught in connection with this incident will be be arrested and will be brought before the relevant authorities.

"Anyone who has any knowledge or information regarding this incident should call police on 101."