Elgin has seen an increase in the amount of fires started on purpose.
The figures from April 2022 to January this year show incidents are up in both of the town’s ward areas.
Elgin South saw the largest jump from 12 in the same period from 2021/22, to 23 in the latest report.
In Elgin North the number of incidents has gone up from two to seven.
Deliberate fire starting in Elgin up
They are thought to be linked to antisocial behaviour in the town.
The figures were included in a report before Moray Council police and fire and rescue services committee this week.
They relate to less serious incidents mainly involving wheelie bins, skips, waste storage areas and grassland
Across Moray the overall number fell from 77 to 72.
The biggest drop – from 33 to 15 – was in Heldon and Laich.
There were also falls in Forres from nine to five and in Fochabers Lhanbryde from seven to three.
Smaller increases were recorded for Buckie where incidents went up from seven to nine, in Keith it rose from four to six and Speyside Glenlivet went up from three to four.
In addition there were 22 more serious deliberate fire-raising incidents in Moray, up two from the previous reporting period.
That number has not been broken down into ward areas.
Councillor for Keith and Cullen Theresa Coull said there was “obviously a problem” with deliberate fire-raising.
How can it be tackled?
She asked what efforts were being made to tackle the issue.
Local senior officer with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Chay Ewing said: “It was identified in Elgin town centre there was an issue with bins.”
He added working with Moray Council had reduced the amount of waste in the town centre especially over weekends cutting the risk.
Police have also made an arrest in connection with issue.
Mr Ewing added colleagues have been visiting schools and talking to pupils as a preventative measure to reduce deliberate fires.
The service will be focusing on addressing wild fires and water safety in the months ahead.
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