Firefighters on bikes will be working to stamp out West Lothian wheelie bin fire problem
They will be out and about engaging with young people in areas worst affected.
By Stuart Sommerville, Robert Fairnie, Edinburgh Live, 11 June 2019
Photo: Scottish Fire and Rescue watch manager Lee Clark
Firefighters in West Lothian will be working hard this summer to stamp out the problem of wheelie bin fires in the area.
And they'll be doing so by saddling up and jumping on their bikes.
Firefighters will be joining police colleagues by conducting mountain bike patrols in areas worst affected by the problem – including Balbardie Peace Park in Bathgate.
They will be looking to engage with communities, and chat to young people about the risks associated with wheelie bin fires.
Edinburgh Live reported earlier this month that there had been more than 140 wheelie bin fires in West Lothian in the space of a year.
Local SFRS liaison officer watch manager Lee Clark told Bathgate's local area committee about the new initiative.
He said: “It’s very much about being a visible presence and engaging with youngsters.”
The Fire Service has already taken the safety message into schools, most recently meeting the new fourth years in Bathgate Academy.
Of the 29 deliberate fires in the Bathgate ward up to the end of March, 24 were wheelie bin or rubbish fires.