Lancashire's brave firefighters to battle blaze during World Cup clash

Bosses at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service say that although many of their firefighters are keen football supporters, they will not be watching England’s crucial match on Saturday as they continue to fight the Winter Hill moorland blaze.

He said: “Morale is very good among our officers - when you are a firefighter, you are happy to help the community.

“At the end of the day, we are here to fight fires and our crews spend a great deal of time training for these incidents.

“We are more than happy to put our training to good use.

“The support of the community has been a huge boost to our crews - we’re not just talking about the food and drink that people have donated but the messages of thanks that have come pouring in.

“I was walking down the street after a shift in my uniform and people were coming up to me and shaking my hand, thanking me for my efforts up on the moorland.

“It’s just been phenomenal, I’ve never known anything like it.

“We are all working very hard in arduous conditions, but to know we have the public’s support, and to know they think we are doing a good job, is a real boost.”