A 14-year-old girl has been charged only days after yobs launched a ”shocking” attack on firefighters in Whitfield.
The teenager, who is too young to be named, is alleged to have thrown a stone towards the fire crew who had been called to a bin fire in Ormiston Crescent last Wednesday night.
Shortly after extinguishing the blaze the firefighters from Kingsway East fire station were pelted with stones and spat on by a mob of around a dozen youths, some of whom were said to be under 10 years old.
A large stone smashed a floodlight on the front of the fire appliance as it was manoeuvring in the street.
The teenager will now be reported to the Children’s Reporter for vandalism.
Inspector Kevin Williams of Longhaugh Police Station praised members of the local community for stepping forward with information that helped identify the youth.
He continued: ”I am pleased that local officers have detected this crime. We were helped by local residents who provided important information and I would like to thank those that came forward to assist our enquiry.
”Any attack on members of the emergency services or the equipment they use to save lives is a serious issue and I’m pleased that the local community felt the same and came forward to help our enquiry.”
Ron Costello of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), who is the secretary for the Tayside Brigade, said he was surprised a teenage girl was suspected of being involved in the mindless act.
”I can’t believe people would want to do something like that,” he said. ”At one point in my life I was 14 and it never crossed my mind to do anything like this.
”For a 14-year-old girl to be involved, that is a shock.
”When you see a crowd of youths hanging around there are sometimes a small number of girls but they never usually get involved. It’s just very shocking and quite a sad indictment of society.”
He continued: ”If something happens to an appliance because it has been damaged in an attack and needs to be taken off the road to be repaired, that could cost lives.
”For firefighters to get that sort of treatment when answering an emergency call is the last thing they need.”
Anyone with information on the incident can contact police on 0300 111 2222.