YOUNG people in Thornbury met with firefighters and police officers last night to find out about the consequences of starting fires.

Members of Krunch youth club were given a tour of Thornbury Fire Station by members of the retained crews, who showed them how the service works and the equipment they use when called up.

The group of 20 young people were also shown a presentation which included real-life stories of how playing with fire has affected lives forever, problems faced by fire crews and the community over needless callouts and footage of a fire in a bedroom getting out of control – engulfing the room in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea.

The suggestion to visit the station follow a number of arson incidents and anti-social behaviour in the Thornbury area, which have been linked to groups of young people.

These include a fire last month at the skate park as well as a bin fire on Oakleaze field and a car fire, which all took place in a short space of time.

Krunch manager Penny Baker said that the aim of the evening was part of the group’s mission to “work with young people in the area to try and make sure they are staying safe.”

She said: “There is a lot of concern about the young people in Thornbury right now and we are keen to fight the concerns over drugs and anti-social behaviour and education is definitely the first step, which is why we are more than happy to join our firefighters and police officers to speak to the kids.

“This evening has definitely had a positive effect. It is good for them to see the consequences of their actions, on themselves, their families and the wider community. Hopefully it will give them some respect for others and make them think twice before they get tempted to set a fire.”

Avon Fire and Rescue watch manager and risk reduction for children and young people specialist Danny McCarthy, who gave the presentation, agreed that the evening had been a success.

“You could see attitudes changing through the evening. Several came in initially quite sure of themselves but once they saw the effects an uncontrolled fire can have, they started to think differently.”

Thornbury police beat manager PC Sean White, who also spoke during the presentation, said he was pleased by the multi-agency approach and that he hoped if it had a positive effect, he would look forward to taking part in more in the future.