Rubbish containers are frequently the target for pyromaniacs. | Bombers de Palma (Palma Fire Brigade)

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The National Police are examining security camera images in seeking to identify a group of youths responsible for setting fire to rubbish containers in Palma. Video footage shows this group - male and female - using petrol cans to soak containers and then setting them alight.

Since the beginning of the year, the emergency services have had to deal with numerous incidents such as this. Cars parked in the vicinity of containers have on occasions also been affected.

The Emaya municipal services agency believes there have been cases when local residents have been responsible for setting alight old containers in order to prompt the agency into providing new ones. But most of the incidents are "pranks", and they are ones which could prove costly for the perpetrators. There is provision for a maximum prison sentence of four years as well as for hefty fines and compensation demands.

On Sunday morning, the Palma Fire Brigade was called out to separate incidents an hour apart. Both were in Playa de Palma. The first one, at around half five, was on the calle Trasimé. The second was on the calle Llaüt, where three containers were totally destroyed. There were two other incidents in the early hours of Saturday. These were in El Rafal and El Vivero.