Firefighters tackling grass fires on Twmbarlwm are now being supported by police after being verbally abused.
Following the incidents of verbal abuse and anti-social behaviour, Gwent Police have introduced a dispersal order. Police officers will be operating high visibility patrols in the area and will have the authority to direct anyone suspected of behaving in an antisocial manner from the area.
The order came into effect at 5pm on Thursday, July 26 and will run until 5pm on Saturday, July 28. Anyone returning to the area after being directed to leave will be arrested.
A spokesman for Gwent Police said: “As a result of verbal abuse and antisocial behaviour impacting on the response of emergency services and their partners to grass fires in the vicinity of Twmbarlwm, Gwent Police have issued a 48-hour dispersal order for the area.”
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) crews have been present on Twmbarlwm since Saturday, July 14.
SWRFS Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Richard Prendergast, said: “I am really proud of how hard our crews have worked over the past several weeks to deal with this range of challenging incidents.
“We appreciate all of the support we have had from partner agencies and our communities. While the high instances of fires that we are currently experiencing is challenging to us, we are still able to provide a normal high level of service to the public of South Wales.”
The grass fire has destroyed 200 hectares of woodland, including tens of thousands of newly planted trees.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) believe that any wildlife in the path of the fire has been killed and their habitat and food sources destroyed. A spokesman for NRW said: “Populations of some species of plants and animals may take years to recover.”
There are also mounting concerns that efforts to tackle grass fires across South Wales are draining local water supplies.
Managing Director of Welsh Water, Peter Perry, said: “As well as the significant burden on resources of the emergency services, tackling these fires is diverting valuable drinking water supplies at a time when we’re experiencing some of the hottest weather on record.
“While we are working flat out to maintain supplies as normal during the dry spell, pumping more than a billion litres a day into our network and with 450 people working seven days a week to find and repair leaks on our network, we need everyone to help us in this effort”.
On Thursdy, July 19, Gwent Police said they believed that the fire had been started intentionally.
Inspector Stephen Drayton, of Gwent Police, said: “These fires have been burning for a number of weeks now, and are having a significant impact on our local environment and wildlife.
“Deliberately starting a grass fire is a serious offence, and will not be tolerated in Gwent. We are seeking the public’s help so we can identify offenders, in order to bring them to justice and prevent them from committing similar offences again in the area.”
Anyone who has any information or has observed suspicious behaviour in the area should contact Gwent Police on 101. Information on the Twmbarlwm incident should be given quoting the reference 320 of 14/07/18. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
what a sad world we have allowed to evolve into where by Fire personnel have to have Police protection while doing their jobs. In my view these people who are giving the abuse to the Firefighters should be photographed, named and shamed and then prosecuted. These type of low class echelons of society are just scum. Firstly I have to ask what is the mentality of the scum setting the fires (if deliberately started) Secondly, what is in the mind set of those scum giving Firefighters abuse when they are trying to do their job in putting them out. Thirdly does no one really care enough anymore, about the loss of habitat and wildlife that is being killed. Obviously not….
I agree with all the points you have covered Paul.
What a sad world we now live in when many people (of all age groups) have no respect for anything or anyone.
I agree that such offenders should be photographed;named and shamed and dealt with robustly by the courts.
However, I think we all know that any such attempt will raise cries from the do gooders and civil liberties groups in our society.
I’m sorry but my response to these groups is that if you commit any crime or fall short of what society regards as acceptable behaviour – then you lose any protection from being dealt with appropriately and robustly.
They cannot have their cake and eat it – ie: they cannot break the law and then expect the law to protect them.
We all rely on our Emergency Services to protect us as we go about our daily lives – Society as a whole must now stand up and support these workers by coming forward and providing any information they may have that could help bring offenders to justice.
What are these dispersal orders suppose to achieve?? We hear Gwent Constabulary using them a lot but we never ever hear about arrests or warnings given to people. No doubt the police bosses will say its a success but how do we now this? As i said in the past we have 3 tier policing system if you wish to call it that here in caerphilly but we never see any of them on our streets constables,CPOs and those warden type people all do very little. We need figures and facts of all these orders to see what they do.
The problem is society has lost all respect for everything this is the fault of our liberal left. We need old fashion values to return.
It’s all smoke & mirrors to con the public into believing that the Police are actually doing something.
As you say it’s never backed up with any statistics to prove what they say has been achieved.
The very fact that they no longer patrol says it all…….only visible Police patrols ( by constables with full powers) will restore order to our society.