SAINTS have teamed up with Merseyside Fire Service to help tackle home safety across St Helens.

The treble winners are supporting a life-saving campaign which aims to give every home in the borough a free safety check over the next five years, including the installation of free smoke alarms. And there are plans for some of the squad to accompany firefighters on visits to homes.

The players pledged their support after being put through their paces at the fire service's training centre in Croxteth where they tried to fight a fire themselves and witnessed a series of safety demonstrations.

Charlie Blair, Community Fire Safety Officer, said: "We're tremendously grateful for the way the Saints are supporting this campaign. The players have hero status in St Helens and their backing is proving vital in encouraging people to get protected from fire.

"All the evidence shows that the majority of fires in St Helens can be avoided, if people take a few simple safety precautions. Through our programme of home fire safety checks and free smoke alarms, we are aiming to achieve a dramatic reduction in the injuries, deaths and property damage caused by fire".

The initiative in St Helens is part of a wider campaign, Merseyside Free From Fire, which aims to create 500,000 fire-safe homes across the region in the next five years.

Figures announced this week show that the campaign is achieving startling results: Fires in the home have reduced by around 17 per cent in the last two years.

Fire injuries have reduced by around 20 per cent in the last 12 months.

Injuries among firefighters in April this year were the lowest in the history of Merseyside Fire Service.

7,000 home fire safety checks are now being carried out each month.