A retiring fireman has been celebrated for serving the community for more than four decades.

Steve Crockett will retire from frontline duty on Christmas Eve after 42 years of battling fires in Worthing.

Steve, who first joined the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service on a part-time basis in 1980, currently serves alongside his son James. 

He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family after leaving his current role.

Steve said: “At the beginning of my career it was a juggling act between being on-call for my main employment, being on-call for the fire service and being a family man, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world – hence why I have been doing the role for 42 years.

“My wife Liz and our family have been an incredible support, which there has to be for any retained firefighter due to the number of missed family events and spoilt meals.

"I am now looking forward to spending more time with them moving forward.”

Steve joined the fire service after being encouraged to do so by a colleague at BT, where he worked full time.

Since his first call out, he has responded to several big incidents including the fire at the Warnes Hotel in 1987 and several incidents in the Great Storm in the same year.

Steve also received a lifetime achievement award for his long service in 2020.

His son James said: “James said: “Growing up I would always hear my dad’s pager go off and I’d watch him stop whatever he was doing to dash off and help those in need.

“His passion for helping others always shone through and inspired me to take up a career in the fire service.

"I feel very proud to have served alongside my dad at Worthing Fire Station for almost a decade, but it’s time for him to take a well-deserved rest and turn off his pager for the last time.”

Steve will continue to work for the fire service in a non-operational role as a watch manager.