Slice of fire service history saved from the scrap heap

The building in Highwoods Road, Mexborough, was closed by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue after it was replaced by a state-of-the-art station at nearby Manvers.

All the equipment and furniture was removed weeks ago, but a local councillor noticed that one piece of memorabilia had been forgotten.

A stainless steel plaque, which had been fixed to the side of building, had been left behind - and may have been lost forever had it not been spotted.

Coun Ken Wyatt, who represents neighbouring Swinton on Rotherham Council, said: "I thought it would be such a shame if it ended up among the rubble, thrown in a skip or stolen to be weighed in for scrap. So I contacted the fire service and asked if there was any chance of recovering the plaque, and their estates people were really helpful and removed it straight away."

At the time the station opened, Mexborough's fire brigade was part of the old West Riding County Fire Service.

The plaque, which was this week donated to Sheffield's Fire and Police Museum, has the WRCFS badge on it and the title Mexborough Division.