A FIRE brigade has been raising funds to buy teddy bears to give to children involved in incidents attended by fire- fighters.

Cleveland Fire Brigade's Prince's Trust partnership team is taking part in a variety of events to raise more than £1,000 to buy 100 bears.

Volunteers have been packing people's shopping at Morrison's in Redcar, east Cleveland, organising a tombola in Grangetown's Asda, selling raffle tickets and washing cars at Stockton Riverside College.

The teddy bears will be given to children involved in any serious incidents that the fire brigade attend to, hopefully, divert their attention.

The bears being bought will be Blaze Bears, used by the fire service's National Benevolent Fund.

The final fundraising event is a sponsored 27-mile bike ride, delivering the bears to each of the stations in east Cleveland. Children from Guisborough's Northgate Primary and Park Lane Primary schools will greet the team as they arrive at the town's fire station.

Karen Duncan, the brigade's support worker for the Prince's Trust said: "By handing out these bears, hopefully children will find some comfort in them which will hopefully lessen any distress.''