TARGET: The New Era centre in Paradise Street,
Accrington, where youths have been setting off the fire alarms
YOUTHS deliberately setting off fire alarms at a Hyndburn social centre are putting the lives of thousands of residents at risk, according to firefighters.
For two consecutive nights Hyndburn firefighters have been called out to the New Era centre in Paradise Street, Accrington.
And on each occasion it has been a false alarm, according to firefighters.
Fire chiefs believe anti-social youths have been entering the building and setting off the alarms maliciously.
The latest incident happened on Wednesday night when youths were seen cycling away.
With only two fire engines now based in Hyndburn, such false alarms can potentially leave an area, covering Accrington, Great Harwood and Rishton, without adequate fire cover for periods of time, fire chiefs said.
Watch manager Phil Jones said: "There is a group of youths who the centre appears to have been having trouble with. They are running inside setting off the alarms.
"At the time we were out at a rubbish fire in Rishton, so all we had left between Langho and Haslingden was a part-time fire engine and an engine at Great Harwood.
"This would have obviously caused us considerable delays in getting to any other fires in the Accrington area."
Liz Pilkington, New Era centre manager, said they were hoping to introduce an education programme about the dangers of deliberately setting off fire alarms.
She said: "We need to get over to the young people how irresponsible and dangerous it is.
"While they are doing this somebody they know or somebody in their family could be in a fire."
Police community beat manager Louise Miller said: "We have CCTV which is being used to try and identify the offenders."
http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1687198.0.fire_hoax_yobs_putting_lives_at_risk.php
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