A spate of arson attacks on skips and rubbish bins has prompted a safety campaign by firefighters and waste managers.

The number of deliberate blazes has increased by seven per cent over the past two years. There are now more than 1,000 across Oxfordshire every year.

Letters, leaflets and stickers have been sent to all skip hire and waste collection companies in Oxfordshire in a bid to reverse the trend.

Businesses are often at risk because skips and wheelie bins are usually placed near to buildings and can be an easy target for arsonists. The fire can then spread to the building.

Oxfordshire County Council's fire safety officer Simon Belcher said: "It's a huge problem as it diverts our resources away from other emergencies like road traffic accidents and chemical spillages.

"Oxford itself has only three full-time fire engines to cover the whole city and if one is called out to a skip fire it limits resources greatly.

"It's still arson and it's an imprisonable offence."

A fire in a skip outside a home in Eastern Avenue, Littlemore, Oxford, spread to the house in April, but no-one was injured. In March, Didcot Girls' School pupils could not attend school for two days after a wheelie bin was pushed against a door and set alight.

The Arson Alert campaign is a joint initiative by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and waste managers at Oxfordshire County Council to advise business on how to deter arsonists.

Anne Purse, county council executive member for waste, said: "Get the right container for your recycling and rubbish and make sure you secure it and follow the precautions."

For more information, call the Community Fire Safety Helpline on 0800 325 999.