CHILDREN affected by the Chernobyl disaster toured a fire station yesterday.
Twenty-six youngsters from Belarus toured the headquarters of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, in Durham City.
They were given the opportunity to dress up in the uniforms, ride in fire engines and try out hoses.
Many of the group suffer from illnesses contracted when they were exposed to radiation after an explosion at the nuclear factory in 1986.
A service spokesman said: "These visits are to give the children respite and relaxation from their everyday lives. It was an opportunity to provide them with an important fire safety message, but also to have a lot of fun as well.
"Smoke alarms are not as readily available so we were pleased to be able to provide some for them to take back to their homeland."
The children are staying with host families across the region
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