Italian firemen 'started fires to receive bonuses'

Rome : Fifteen firefighters have been arrested in Sicily on suspicion of having started fires in order to receive bonus payments, police on the Italian island said Monday.

The firemen are alleged to have faked distress calls as part of the plan to receive the payments of around 10 euros per hour handed out by the state for working in emergency situations.

A number of the 15 volunteer firemen arrested, all from the province of Ragusa, are suspected of arson.

The local fire service authorities had noticed an abnormal number of interventions by the team and launched an investigation.