CCTV cameras fitted to fire engines have helped halve the number of attacks on crews in the past year.

Cameras were fitted to six fire engines across Bolton in November 2006 in a bid to combat the escalating problem of yobs verbally abusing firefighters, throwing bricks or firing airguns at them.

The CCTV cameras, which can capture 360-degree views, were installed in two engines at Bolton Central, two at Farnworth, one at Horwich and one at Bolton North station, a £15,000 cash injection from Bolton at Home.

And Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service bosses say they are proving an effective deterrent.

Between April 2006 and March last year, 23 incidents of hostility towards crews were reported.

However, since April last year there have been just 11 such incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Ian Bailey, station commander at Bolton Central fire station, is delighted at the decline in the number of attacks.

He said: "It's extremely pleasing to see that in the early stages of using the cameras we've seen a reduction in the number of hostility incidents.

"Over time we hope to eliminate this anti-social behaviour towards firefighters."

Mr Bailey said he has seen a number of attacks on crews during his career across Greater Manchester, include one occasion when youths placed human faeces and razor blades onto hand rails in a high rise flat to hurt firefighters as they climbed stairs.

Recent incidents in Bolton include a fire crew being forced to withdraw from the scene of a small fire in Halliwell when 12 youths began throwing stones at them on November 3 last year.

Two days later, on Bonfire Night, firefighters were called to a second incident in Halliwell when they were attacked with bricks.

Mr Bailey added: "Although training and legislation play significant part in the reduction of hostility incidents, society as a whole needs to change before we eliminate the problem entirely."