Arson attacks account for nearly one in four of all Cumbria fires, new figures show.

Statistics reveal the number of fires started deliberately accounted for 38 per cent of all fires in Cumbria in 2015/16.

Although around the county the number of arson attacks dropped slightly compared to 2014/15, in Allerdale they increased by 20 per cent.

There are six communities in Cumbria where deliberate fires were started a dozen or more times in 2015-16.

Four were in Allerdale: 35 fires in two communities in St Michael's; 16 in Flimby and 13 in Moss Bay.

The other two were in Carlisle, with 13 in Botcherby and 12 in Belle Vue.

Recent high profile cases include that of Ben Taylor, 24, of Whole House Road, Seascale, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison last June after being found guilty of five counts of arson.

He started three fires at the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway while employed by the company.

The majority of incidents attended by firefighters are false alarms - 43 per cent, followed by fires, 31 per cent. Seven per cent are road crashes.

A report put before Carlisle City Council's Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel states: "Overall the total number of emergencies attended by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service has decreased from 5,348 in 2010/11 to 4,518 in 2015-16."

The report attributes the decrease in the number of fires to more effective targeting of people or locations predicted to be more likely to have a fire.