COMMENT: Firefighters bonfire plea puts our community to shame

In a video released by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services we have the usual stay safe messages ahead of bonfire night along with graphic images of people horrifically burned by fireworks.

But more shocking than the disfigured victims of November 5th is firefighters revealing the level of abuse they face just doing their job.

One particularly disturbing tale features a firefighter’s story of how his team was pelted with missiles, and one colleague being hit on the helmet.

The missile drove a hole in the side of his headwear. The officer recounting the story is brutally honest in his assessment. No helmet and that firefighter would have been seriously injured, or even killed.

He calls on people to “show some respect” to crews as the service heads into its busiest time of year.

That he has to make that plea is a disgrace. We know it is a mindless minority who are causing the problem, but it is an issue that we can all play a part in tackling.

In particular, as the perpetrators are invariably youngsters, parents and guardians need to more vigilant in knowing what their children are up to on these nights.

Watch Manager Hewitt said: “At the end of the day we are here to do a job, we just come to work to keep you safe and I think it’s fair that while we’re at work, we’re safe as well for the sake of ourselves and the sake of our families.”

Are they really asking too much?