Fires

Last night a concerned member of the public contacted Police to inform us that 3 male youths dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas were sighted behaving suspiciously in the alleyways near to Deepdale Road, Loftus, paying particular attention to wheelie bins.

A short time later a wheelie bin was set alight, confirming the reporting person’s concerns. Fire Brigade attended and extinguished the fire.

Parents and guardians of young people please be aware of their whereabouts and be vigilant if they return home smelling of smoke. 

Residents please secure your wheelie bins and store them securely outside of collection days, it's a simple way to stop bins being targeted and set alight. This also assists in reducing the demand on Redcar and Cleveland Fire Brigade especially in the run up to Bonfire night. 

Please continue to remain vigilant and continue to report any suspicious activity via 101 / 999.

And finally, a youth in possession of a balaclava is not concerned about catching a chill around the ears. Balaclavas are not a fashion accessory. Nor are they supplied in jaunty colours to match an accompanying outfit. They are owned for only one thing. To hide ones identity when the wearer is conducting activities which decent members of the public find deplorable. Parents, if your child owns a balaclava, please consider whether this is an appropriate piece of clothing. If they are concerned about the cold, we would much rather they wore a bobble hat.