Vicious attacks on firefighters are on the increase, putting the lives of officers and the public at risk, it was revealed yesterday.

In some areas of Glasgow, firefighters are facing three or four malicious attacks a week compared with three or four a month five years ago.

Strathclyde Fire Brigade assistant firemaster Robert Coke said the incidents were costing the cash-strapped brigade thousands of pounds per year.

Speaking at a meeting with Glasgow city councillors, Mr Coke said: ''Attacks and vandalism are on the increase and the severity of these attacks is getting worse.

''We get bricks thrown through the windows of fire engines and syringes and needles thrown at firefighters. We also get syringes being hidden in hydrant pits which we have to get out before we can use them, which is obviously a waste of valuable time when we are trying to tackle a blaze.''

Mr Coke also told how vandals make malicious hoax calls in a bid to get the firefighters out of the station so they can break in.

He said: ''We had three stations - Springburn, Cumbernauld and Cowcaddens - done last week. They turn the appliances out and then get in to steal or they spray our engines with paint.

''Vandals also cut our hoses and steal radios, which puts firefighters in danger as well as the general public. This is a national problem as well as in the Glasgow area.''

Mr Coke said such problems could be tackled through community education, but the brigade has little extra cash to pay for it.

He said: ''We visit schools and talk to adolescents, teaching them that fire stations are a community resource. This has a great effect in reducing attacks by teaching them that we are not the enemy.

''But resources are a problem. We can't do anything pro-active unless we raise money from partnerships with businesses, because it doesn't come from the Scottish Office.

''We got more than #100,000 last year but that only covered a small part of Glasgow. We need at least #2m to develop initiatives for the whole brigade area.''

Mr Coke highlighted funding as ''a real problem'' for his brigade, which is the largest in Scotland. Earlier this year, firefighters staged an angry protest and warned of strike action after their new budget was approved.

Yesterday, Mr Coke said: ''We are going to have problems in the future and central Government needs to look at funding and make sure we have proper funding to give the public the service they deserve.

Fire board convener Joe Shaw said: ''There are always difficulties in terms of funding. We would like to be able to extend projects, but it's not always easy.''

q A second group of firefighters started voting yesterday on whether to strike over cuts, threatening disruption this summer.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union in Surrey are being balloted on industrial action in protest at plans to close stations.

Firefighters in Essex started voting last week on strikes in a separate dispute over job losses.

The results of both ballots will be announced next month.