MORE than £4.5m has been earmarked for fire safety in West Yorkshire this year.

This is the most ever invested in the county on fire prevention.

Fire safety has become a part of normal duties for front line firefighters in recent years.

Spending on it has risen by more than one fifth over the last three years.

People can now phone a hotline to book a free home fire safety check.

Elderly and vulnerable people can have smoke detectors fitted for free.

West Yorkshire Fire And Rescue Service chief officer Phil Toase said: "We need to be both ambitious in the objectives we set and innovative in the way we work if we are to build on past achievements."

Phone 0800 587 4536.