Shropshire’s Chief Fire Officer Paul Raymond has announced his retirement after a distinguished 33 year career in the Fire and Rescue Service.

He has led Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service to become one of the best run brigades in the UK despite being one of the smallest and heavily underfunded – while reducing the annual cost of the service by over £3 million.

More than half of the house fires Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service are called to each year start in the kitchen, revealed the brigade’s community fire safety team.

They will be in Telford town centre on Thursday, December 13th with firefighters for three days to talk to Christmas shoppers with advice on how to avoid a house fire, especially during the festive celebrations.

Free home fire safety checks are available to everyone when firefighters will visit your home and point out any potential fire hazards and give fire prevention advice.

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service have attended ten incidents in the last month in the Sutton Hill area of Telford, involving wheelie bins and commercial wheelie bins.

The majority of the incidents have been in the Skate Park and around the Sutton Hill Centre between 4.30pm and 8.40pm.

We are urging people to secure wheelie bins at the rear of properties and only put the bins out on the day of collection.

Commercial wheelie bins should be at least 6m away from properties.

The Safer Roads Partnership in Warwickshire and West Mercia is warning motorists in the region to take extra care as the met office predicts a further drop in temperature over the next few days. With rain and sleet also predicted motorists are being advised to take extra care, particularly on wet and icy roads.

The Safer Roads Partnership in Warwickshire and West Mercia is warning motorists in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire to take extra care as the weather turns colder this winter, particularly on wet roads from the recent heavy rain and flooding.