A fire chief says it is fortunate that members of his crew were not killed when they were bombarded with petrol bombs and glass bottles.

A premeditated petrol bomb attack in West Denton over the weekend could have seen firefighters sustain "life-changing injuries", and has left firefighters feeling "saddened and frustrated".

Firefighters from the West Denton Community Fire Station in Tyne and Wear were targeted with suspected petrol bombs. The crew also had heavy glass bottles hurled at them while the teenagers responsible tried to barricade them in a cul-de-sac.

A police officer was later injured during the violence on Saturday evening when the youngsters attacked them as they tried to make an arrest. This comes a week after a group of youths in Seaham launched a verbal and physical attack on churchgoers after they attended a sermon - triggering debate over youth discipline.

Read more: Police warning after attack on firefighters in Newcastle's West Denton

Watch Manager Steven Foster, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), is responsible for the Red Watch crew who were targeted with suspected petrol bombs in West Denton.

Watch Manager Foster said those who were subjected to the attacks are “saddened” by what happened and very shaken up.

He said: “These sickening attacks on firefighters and other members of the emergency services could’ve easily resulted in life-changing injuries.

“The general feeling amongst the crews is that of frustration and anger. We are ultimately saddened with what has happened, and the way things escalated to this kind of incident.

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“This was far more than just a few stones being thrown and stray verbal comments. These were premeditated attacks with the aim to cause injury.

“When the crews returned to the station the look of shock was evident on their faces, as they didn’t believe what had just happened to them.  We all love our job in the Service, but nobody deserves to have their life put at risk.”

It is being investigated that fire crews could have been lured to the area by a hoax emergency 999 call that reported a serious car fire in the West Denton area of Newcastle.

When the firefighters arrived on the scene they discovered it was, in fact, a small refuse fire, and initially when they began extinguishing the fire they were targeted with a barrage of stones and verbal abuse. 

“Our crews and staff region-wide risk their lives on a daily basis to keep the communities safe, and the fact the firefighters were potentially lured to Saturday’s incident with a hoax call is appalling,” added WM Foster.

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“Then with what later arose with the suspected petrol bomb, laser pen and the barricading of the appliance represents a calculated attack on innocent people just doing their job.

“This was a very, very serious incident. We could easily be reflecting on serious injuries for four firefighters, members of the public or even the perpetrators themselves.” 

Northumbria Police have confirmed that four teenagers – aged 16, 16, 15 and 13 – have been arrested following the incident and since bailed pending further enquiries.