Pre-war, many of the larger towns that had their own police force had police fire brigades - Portsmouth, Liverpool, Manchester and many others.
At one time, up to 60 per cent had them. When Norwich was asked the strength of its brigade, it replied: "Four full-time and 144 part-time, that being the total of constables."
Of course, they would not all be available for fire duty. Usually, a number would be detailed for duty as part-time firemen.
In Manchester, all the constables were full-time. In many of the towns, there was a nucleus of full-timers. All, of course, were forbidden to strike.
-R W Carden, Beechwood Avenue, Brighton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article