The cost of arson to public buildings in Birmingham
ARSONISTS have caused more than £865,000 damage to public buildings in Birmingham in just two years.
Taxpayers in the city have picked up a huge arson bill since September 2006 after schools, children’s homes, community centres and sports clubs were targeted by reckless yobs.
Figures obtained by the Birmingham Mail reveal that each attack on a public sector building is costing emergency services and insurance companies an average of £43,487 a time.
More than half the people charged with arson are aged under 18.
One in three attacks on publicly-owned city buildings involved schools and youth clubs.
City education bosses said more needed to be done to teach young people responsibility.
Coun Jon Hunt, who sits on Birmingham’s children and education overview and scrutiny committee, said: “Fires, whether they are started deliberately or not, devastate both pupils and teachers who see all their hard work destroyed.
“Not only is it extremely dangerous and putting hundreds of lives at risk, but arson can cost schools thousands of pounds. Ultimately, the people responsible need to be caught and punished.
“But we must also do more to help educate young people about public responsibility. And that is the job of families and schools with the help of the council.”
Among the worst hit was Highfield Primary School which suffered £25,000 of damage in June and Clifton Infant School which had to foot a repair bill of the same amount in July.
Other council buildings have also felt the effect of fire starters, with Hill Top Golf suffering £180,000 damage when one of its sheds was razed to the ground in October last year.
And council flats in Wickets Tower were devastated in April this year with £150,000 damage.
Sgt Phil Butler, of the West Midlands Arson Task Force, said: “Youngsters get into a negative spiral where they may start off with causing false alarms rising to setting fire to buildings with dozens of people inside.
“They get a sense that they can get away with it.
“We are trying to teach them the consequences of their actions and that, ultimately, whatever age they are, they will have to live with what they have done for the rest of their lives.”
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