FULL-strength Bewdley Fire Station is now responding to calls round the clock.

The station - which boasts 14 part-time "retained" firefighters compared with just six last year - can serve the town and surrounding areas 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week after several years of only evening and weekend cover.Bewdley firefighters (back) Rod Maiden, Kevin Woodhouse, Paul Price, Rod Mole and John Purcell; (front) Mike Petersen, Paul Francis, Dan Myers and Stan Price.

Sub officer Rod Maiden said a Bewdley crew could reach emergencies west of the River Severn "quite a few minutes" quicker than its Kidderminster counterpart.

"A minute could mean the difference between getting somebody out and not getting somebody out," he said.

Press appeals, open days and trips to fetes have attracted new recruits, who are all trained to the same level and use the same equipment as their full-time colleagues.

Bewdley crews typically answer four or five calls a week and cover towns as far away as Cleobury Mortimer and Tenbury.

Firefighters must live or work within six minutes of the station and are on call most weekends.

"It's a lot of commitment - for your family as well. A lot of the lads don't do it for the money, it's something different," said Mr Maiden.

"There is a lot of satisfaction."