FIRE chiefs are urging people to use Christmas money to buy life-saving smoke alarms.

The County Durham and Darlington brigade hopes to make preventable fire deaths a thing of the past.

Divisional officer Dave Turnbull said: "If you have some Christmas box money, why don't you buy someone a really important late Christmas present?

"A smoke alarm can save a life; it gives you vital seconds to get out of a house. It provides a crucial warning.

"You can get alarms with long-life batteries for £14 - better still get one hard-wired - but you can get battery alarms for as little as £3.

"What's that compared to the loss of a life and the estimated £1m total cost of a fatal house fire?"

The brigade is helping vulnerable people, particularly in the county's areas of deprivation, to fit free alarms.

Houses built since 1995 must have hard-wired alarms by law but many older houses have no protection.

"We have whittled it down from 14 or 15 deaths a year 15 years ago to three or four but we have a target of zero preventable fire deaths," Mr Turnbull said.

Anyone who wants fire safety information should call Ron Bainbridge at the brigade's HQ on (0191) 332 4311.