Fire engines are being forced out of service in rural parts of East Sussex because of a lack of retained firefighters.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has launched a recruitment campaign to attract people who can respond at a moment's notice during week days.

Officials said a shortage of retained firefighters has meant fire engines are being taken out of service at times during the week.

It means that, when an incident happens, an appliance has to travel from a neighbouring town or village, which could prove critical in an emergency.

The fire service said the shortage of firefighters also means added workloads and pressure for existing staff.

The areas most in need are the Ore ward in Hastings, Lewes, Crowborough, Mayfield, Wadhurst, Battle and Rye.

A fire service spokesman said:

"They could have children at school, be self-employed or work the standard nine to five.

"In fact, they could be doing anything, as long as they can be at the fire station within five minutes of the alerter ounding."

Each firefighter gets an annual retaining fee of up to £2,500 for being available and then gets paid an hourly rate for training and attending incidents.

A retained firefighter can be trained to attend the same incidents as full-time colleagues, including fires, rescues, road crashes and animal rescues.

Retained firefighters also pay safety visits to homes, carrying out detailed risk assessments, providing fire safety advice and installing smoke alarms.

Retained recruitment coordinator, Simon Rose, said: "This is a national problem but with local solutions.

"There are many benefits for both individuals and their employers when they train to become a retained firefighter and people are able to gain skills and experience that would be impossible to get elsewhere.

"We are keen to hear from anyone, from any background, who can get to one of these fire stations within five minutes of a 999 call being made."

Anyone who is interested in finding out more should telephone the recruitment hotline on 01323 462349.