Station Manager Neil Groves (Centre) with Hodnet firefighter Ruth Walkerdine (left) and Watch Commander Debbie Davies with 12 women who attended the firefighter "taster"session at Craven Arms fire station over the weekend

Women who want to be firefighters turned out for a “taster” session at a Shropshire fire station.

A happy ending: Air ambulance paramedic Kerry Hemas with farmer Graham Heatley holding the spike that speared him with firefighter John Deakin at the farm at The Grange, Lyneal, near Ellesmere, Shropshire

Shropshire firefighters were faced with an extraordinary rescue operation when a farmer accidentally impaled himself onto a 45 centimetre long tractor fork.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service have been called out to two car fires in the last two days.

The first incident was at 09.43am Thursday 27^th February 2014, in Darliston, Hollinswood, Telford, involving a Renault Scenic.

The second incident was reported at 04.09am Friday 28^th February 2014 in Sandpits Road Ludlow - a cushion had been set on fire in the front seat.

Both fires were believed to have been started deliberately.

If anyone has any information they are asked to ring West Mercia Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Shropshire firefighters have been heavily involved as part of the UK’s national resilience force battling the worst floods to hit the country for many years.

On call fire crews from across the county left their work and families at short notice to be part of the largest mobilisation of the UK’s fire and rescue services since the Second World War.

They have been working day and night in Reading and Staines over the past week pumping water from flooded homes and helping with the rescue efforts.

Police today issued an appeal for witnesses after arsonists are thought to have set fire to a car and trailer outside a Market Drayton home. Tyres exploded as flames destroyed the green Peugeot 306 outside the address in Chestnut Road. It’s thought the vehicle was set alight at around 1.15am and the alarm raised about 10 minutes later as one of the tyres exploded waking the owners. A 6ft by 4ft wooden single axle trailer in front of the vehicle was slightly damage. Police attended and the fire was dealt with by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.