Firefighters met with a torrent of abuse when they arrived to put out a blaze
Firefighters were abused when they went to put out a fire in a town centre alleyway.
The crew had to ask police for help before starting the firefighting operation in Market Drayton.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it received 999 calls to a fire next to the Peacocks Stores off the High Street at 10.12pm on Sunday.
The blaze involved a fridge freezer and old mattress, rubbish and timber, close to a building and a fence.
A crew from the town was on scene quickly.
But firefighters said they were saddened that, prior to being able to extinguish the fire, officers from West Mercia Police had to be requested to attend, due to the fire crew being verbally abused by a member of the public who was hampering them in the course of their work.
Once officers from West Mercia Police arrived the member of the public was escorted away from the scene, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said.
The fire was then extinguished using one extended high pressure hose reel jet.
"Thankfully there had been no damage caused to the building or nearby fence," a fire service spokesperson said.
Although under control within an hour, he crew were delayed at the scene for approximately 90 minutes damping down and turning over the remains of the fire.
