MORE than 2,000 fires were started deliberately in Greater Manchester during the first coronavirus lockdown, figures reveal.
The National Fire Chiefs Council said it was "shocking" fire services across England had to respond to arson call-outs at a time when they were helping deliver food and medicine to the most vulnerable.
Home Office data shows the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service responded to 2,375 deliberate fires between April and June – an increase of 80 per cent on the 1,317 between January and March.
The figures include all fires thought or suspected to be intentional, including arson, and others such as bonfires and grass fires.
There were 22 non-fatal casualties from deliberate fires in Greater Manchester, 12 of which required hospital treatment. Nationally, 239 non-fatal casualties from deliberate fires were recorded between April and June – along with eight deaths. Fire services across England attended more than 20,000 deliberate fires during this time.
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