A SPECIALIST team set up to tackle arson attacks in Burnley has reduced the number of malicious fires by 40 per cent.

The Arson Reduction Team, a joint fire and police officers force, has been working with other agencies to share information and strategies.

Firefighters in Burnley said the problem had been spiralling out of control until the team was set up.

Two years ago fire chiefs said that fires in skips and wheelie bins and rubbish fires were up 47 per cent on the previous year and fires in private homes, commercial properties and in cars had increased by 22 per cent.

It was the largest increase in a fire authority in the UK.

Speaking after the figures were announced today, leading firefighter Gary Kiyani said: "The Fire Reduction Team was established after we were seeing a significant increase in the problem of arson attacks. The team is a local initiative working with police, community wardens and communities themselves and local councils.

"Working with local communities has gone a long way towards solving some of the local issues that we have in Burnley. We are delighted that the number of incidents has been reduced by such a large amount and hope that we can build on this for next year."

Firefighters have been able to contact a council fire safety team to remove rubbish from target areas and look at the ways skips are placed.

He added: "Since the council looked at where they were placing skips we have seen a significant decrease in the amount of skip fires."