YOBS and inconsiderate drivers are being warned they are putting lives at risk by blocking in fire engines and disturbing training sessions.

Firefighters issued the stark warning after being plagued by youths urinating against the garage doors of Padiham Fire Station and smashing bottles on the car park they use for training.

Fire chiefs said they have even caught drivers parking in front of the garage doors making it difficult for fire engines to leave.

The Station Road venue is a retained fire station with room for two engines that could be going in and out at any time.

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Firefighters have a five minute turn around when there is an emergency call and have warned the issues could lead to delays in them reaching people in danger.

Firefighter Laura Herdman, 29, said: "The car park at the side of the fire station is for fire service personnel.

"It is signposted as 'no entry' to the public but people use it as a turning round point and youths have been using it to access the river, which in itself is dangerous as it's so cold and fast flowing.

"If you are on that car park and we are training it is dangerous.

"We have equipment out there, ladders and high pressure water hoses.

"If we are carrying out a drill we are all aware of what is happening but people walking through are not.

"It is even worse as the nights are getting darker. People are putting themselves at risk.

"We are here to look after the community not injure them."

She said there had also been issues with vandalism including a couple of weeks ago when a firefighter's car was egged, while they regularly find smashed glass.

"We have had staff who have seen youths urinating on the garage doors," she said.

"It is about hygiene. It's the last thing we want. If they are doing it there where else are they doing it?

"Our message is please stay off that car park."

She said people also have a habit of parking outside the garage even though it has double yellow lines.

"It makes it very hard for us to get past in the engines.

"Just because we are a retained station it does not mean we are not there and that the fire engines are not going to need to leave.

"If the public use the spaces and we can't park there then we can't get on the fire engines.

"We have a turn out time of five minutes. We have to get from our homes to the station, dressed and out in that time. If people are parked there and messing around and we have to wait for them to move it is dangerous, every second counts.

"It has been an issue for a while but the summer holidays bring a different challenge when it is lighter and teenagers are playing out.

"Recently, it has been quite bad which is why we are trying to get the message out that it is not worth it."

Teens have also tried to remove bins from outside the station.

Matthew Armstrong, station manager, said: "We do use the rooms for the community and encourage people to come down to the station but not when we are drilling and when people have not been invited."

Cllr Andrew Tatchell, whose Gawthorpe ward covers the fire station, said: "There is a car park at the back of the town hall so people do not need to use the fire station one.

"It is not just a case of people going somewhere they are not supposed to be, they could be stopping the fire service doing their job."