Firefighters to be remembered at special cathedral service

WEST Yorkshire firefighters will remember colleagues who died in the line of duty, with a minutes' silence next week.

The International Firefighters' Day of Remembrance will be held on Tuesday.

The minute's silence will be observed by West Yorkshire firefighters and their colleagues at stations across Britain, at 11am.

The silence will be incorporated into a service of remembrance at St Paul's Cathedral, London.

The service has been organised by the Firefighters' Memorial Charitable Trust, which has been commemorating the loss of all firefighters killed in the UK since 1991.

West Yorkshire chief fire officer Phil Toase said: "The Firefighters' Memorial Charitable Trust has, since 1991, been at the forefront of remembering firefighters killed on duty throughout the UK.

"We are delighted that the trust has allowed its event to be the focal point for International Firefighters' Day of Remembrance."

Brian Robson, local co-ordinator of International Firefighters' Day of Remembrance, said: "The fire service is a huge family and wherever and whenever a firefighter is killed the family feels a great sense of loss.

"The tragic loss of so many firefighters in New York on September 11 2001 created a need to formally commemorate the loss of all firefighters at home and abroad."