FIRE and rescue leaders congratulated Ross-on-Wye firemen for achieving a perfect score in availability.

The overall readiness for the first on-call engine at the Hildersley fire station has been 100 per cent for two years running.

Leominster fire station was also praised for its 99.9 per cent availability score but overall across the service it was down 2.2 per cent year-on-year.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority vice-chairman Paul Tuthill, speaking the annual meeting, said: “Ross-on-Wye has had a perfect score for over two years.

“Are they significantly better than others or is this just how the maths work out?

“If they are significantly better we should write to them.”

Chief fire officer Nathan Travis said he was very happy to write to them.

He said: “I was over at Ross a couple of weekends ago and I passed on my congratulations to the officer in charge there.

“We are regularly in contact with them as has been pointed out in particular with the on call stations which have two pumps their availability for the first pump is very high anyway because they have a larger number of people

“Leominster are very close behind with 99.9 per cent.”

The fire authority agreed to congratulate Ross firefighters in writing.