SPECIAL recognition will be awarded to a post office after helping firefighters generate hundreds of home safety checks.

Norton post office welcomed Cleveland Fire Brigade in to chat to their customers about fire safety and encourage them to sign up for free home fire safety checks.

Postmaster David Scullion is to receive a certificate on Wednesday, as a thank you from the brigade.

The partnership, which was set up by the brigade's older people's advocates, generated more than 250 checks, with 25 per cent of the householders being over 60.

Les Jones, community safety manager for the brigade, said: "Research shows that 60 per cent of all fires in the home involve people over the age of 60. We have taken a pro-active approach, and have employed two older people's advocates to open up new avenues to talk to this age group.

"Our aim is to carry out a free home fire safety check in every home in the brigade area and make sure every home has working smoke alarms.

"Norton post office has helped us in our aim by joining forces and helping us to deliver our messages."