A BRADFORD on Avon on-call firefighter who served his community for more than 30 years has retired.

A celebratory evening with family and colleagues, past and present, was held at the town's fire station on Monday evening (April 4) in recognition of the outstanding 31 years of service Sean Gerrish has delivered.

Mr Gerrish joined the then Wiltshire Fire Brigade in February 1985 and became watch manager and officer in charge of Bradford on Avon fire station in September 1997, a position he maintained until his retirement on February 29.

"It was a wonderful send off. They caught me off guard. I had a real lump in my throat. It was lovely to hear what people thought of me. I will never forget it," he said.

"You sacrifice a lot to help the community but it is a very rewarding job. We all work as a team, they have been so supportive. We have got each others backs. I cannot thank them enough."

Mr Jeary said: “It was my honour to make the presentation and say a big ‘thank you’ for 31 years of service to the station and the wider community of Bradford on Avon – it’s a remarkable achievement. People like Sean are the bedrock of the Fire and Rescue Service, and our thanks go to his family as well, as they have supported him throughout those years.”

Crew Manager Steve Otterwell presented Mr Gerrish with a ceremonial fire axe on behalf of the Bradford on Avon crew, while there were also flowers for his wife Kim.