Talks are being arranged between travellers' representatives and the fire service after three firefighters were injured in an attack in Belfast.

One of the firemen was still in hospital being treated for a neck injury on Thursday night after the stone-throwing incident in the west of the city.

The fire crew was attacked on Wednesday night by youths when they answered a call to deal with rubbish on fire on the Monagh by-pass near a camp occupied by travelling families.

Two other firefighters suffered minor back and chest injuries.

Divisional officer Alan Lyle said there had been a worrying escalation in the number of such attacks on crews recently in this and other areas.

He said the job was already dangerous and stoning incidents added to the threat posed to fire officers.

"What concerned us particularly about this attack was that there were adults standing watching, who didn't do anything about it," he said.

"We are there to help and support the community. I think it is reasonable to expect that when we go to an incident we get some help from the people in that particular facility.

Attacks on firefighters have become so frequent at the Monagh by-pass camp that crews routinely turn off their lights and sirens when passing it, so that they do not draw attention to themselves.

The Northern Ireland Fire Service has said attacks could have an effect on the service they can provide because injured firefighters can not be immediately replaced.

Mary McMahon of the Belfast Travellers' Support Group said the incident highlighted the need for talks.

"It certainly is a most regrettable incident and I think it highlights the need to engage with the fire service in community outreach programmes about the importance of them being about to go about their work without interference," she said.

West Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Marie Moore said she would help to start negotiations between the travellers and the fire service.

She said: "This hasn't been the first incident in which the fire brigade have been attacked when they have been called out to fires there, so we certainly would be condemning it and trying to get some kind of negotiations started."