Youths in the Falkirk area have reportedly been setting fire to wheely bins to breathe in the fumes

This week a Grangemouth resident stated he contacted police when his bin and his neighbours’ bins were stolen by groups of youths and then set alight.

The householder said there were around 14 young boys involved in the theft and when he went to retrieve the blue bins from them, he received verbal abuse and was challenged to fight.

He claimed he did manage to save two bins, as sticks and bottles were thrown at him and stated it appeared the youngsters were breathing the fumes being produced by the third bin as it blazed away.

The resident said it had been the seventh time his bin had been stolen and the fifth time it had been burned.

Now the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is reminding the public not to light bonfires to dispose of items such as garden or household waste.

The warning comes after fire and rescue crews were mobilised to tackle a number of incidents across Scotland in which outdoor fires have spread to property and nearby households.

During April, SFRS crews were called to 17 fires involving external structures – such as sheds, patios, items of garden furniture, and built-up areas of combustible materials.

This is more than double than during the same time period in the last two years – eight in April, 2019 and seven in April, 2018.

Assistant chief officer Stuart Stevens, SFRS director of service delivery, said: “With bin uplift services in many areas still limited during the Coronavirus pandemic, people might be tempted to burn refuse or other materials.

“We cannot stress this enough – lighting bonfires can be dangerous, and we would strongly discourage anyone from attempting to dispose of waste, or other items, in this way.

“This can often be very unsafe in terms of the risk of fire spread – to your own home and possessions, as well as that of neighbours.”

Burning refuse near to areas of grassland and countryside also brings the risk of wildfire.

ACO Stevens added: “What can initially seem like a small, controlled burn can very quickly spread to sheds, fences or even property, and lead to a number of our firefighters and resources being mobilised.

“While we continue to maintain a high resilience across Scotland, we would seek to avoid any unnecessary demand on our service during this unprecedented time.”