FIREFIGHTERS have visited 64 houses in Billingham to distribute potentially life saving equipment.

The work continues from an earlier scheme in which free checks were carried out on 600 homes in Teesside.

Five hundred of the homes identified as "at risk" have been fitted with free smoke alarms.

On Saturday, firefighters from Billingham fire brigade's White Watch, returned to 64 houses in the Charltons area of the town.

Steve Johnson, White Watch manager, said: "Where we saw people using old-style chip pans in their homes we have offered them a brand new thermostat controlled deep fat fryer."