All emergency services staff should be protected from violent members of the public just as the police are, a Wearside MP has urged.

Labour Sunderland North MP Bill Etherington said it should be a criminal offence "to assault, intimidate or otherwise interfere with emergency services personnel in the execution of their duties".

He introduced a Bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday aimed at giving them "parity" with police.

Even though Mr Etherington's Emergency Services Personnel (Protection) Bill gained its first reading, it is unlikely to become law due to a lack of parliamentary time.

Firefighters were attacked on a Middlesbrough estate

Mr Etherington said that in 2001-2 there were 58 attacks on firefighters around the UK.

For the three months since April there had been a further 15 attacks.

The North East Ambulance Service had complained to him as had nursing authorities in the area.

The Cleveland Fire Brigade has come under attack from children as young as three on a housing estate in Middlesbrough.

The �1m Agecroft Gardens complex in Middlesbrough was originally built as apartments for single people.

In recent months the area has become the target of arsonists as young as five who have stoned attending firefighters.

'Violent crime'

Now more than double its building costs are to be spent demolishing the 100-home site.

Mr Etherington told the House of Commons: "Over many years, violence towards public service workers has been escalating.

"We all know that despite the fact that crime in general has reduced in recent years, violent crime has taken the opposite course and is actually increasing."

"Ministers, over many years, had "never seen fit to give the same protection to firefighters, ambulance drivers, medical staff who are involved in this sector, that the police have".

He said legislating against such attacks would get the message over to the public that such violence would not be tolerated.