FIRE crews in South Wales have had to battle 65 deliberate fires this week.

Crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service received reports of 54 deliberate refuse fires and nine deliberate grass fires.

They made up part of 866 emergency calls received by the fire service this week, which included ten fires at homes.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service are continuously working in partnership with local police forces to reduce the number of deliberate fires being set across South Wales.

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Part of the fire crime team from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, station manager Andy Spence, said: “We are working tirelessly with our partners to drive down the number of arson related anti-social behaviour within our communities.

"Such fires are on the increase and are a drain on service which has the potential to reduce the availability of appliances to attend other emergencies.

"These small fires may seem innocuous in the early stages but can lead to much larger and more significant fires which can have tragic consequences.”

If you see a fire, or anyone starting a fire, please call 999 immediately.

Anyone with information on suspected deliberate fires, or who sees anything suspicious, should call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.