Pet gas masks will help four-legged friends in fires

Emergency crews tackling blazes in Haydock and Billinge can make use of the specialist devices after a donation from the charity Smokey Paws to St Helens’ stations.

Villagers in Parbold and Up Holland already benefit from animal gas masks, after a cattery handed some over to Ormskirk fire station.

And while there are no immediate plans to introduce them to borough stations, animal lovers can still choose to fundraise for the equipment for the Wigan, Leigh, Hindley and Atherton bases.

Rob Pritchard, St Helens group manager, said: “Once animals have been rescued they often, much like humans, require some form of oxygen therapy to assist in their immediate care and recovery.

“These masks are specifically designed to fit the faces of different animals and means we can tailor our response to the individual animal involved in the incident.”