A NEW character is about to Bob into our lives - to help make them safer.

Cartoon figure Battery Bob was launched by Lancashire Fire Brigade to spearhead a drive to encourage people to fit smoke alarms and make sure they have working batteries.

The official launch took place at brigade headquarters in Preston yesterday (Wednesday).

And Chorley Fire Station showed it was playing its part this week by helping to promote the new safety initiative.

Fire chiefs are concerned that many people still do not fit potentially life-saving smoke alarms.

Statistics show that others will fit an alarm and let the battery run down or even remove it - seriously reducing their chances of helping themselves and their family avert a tragedy.

Of nearly 500 house fires in Lancashire between January 1 and March 31 this year, a staggering 76 per cent did not have a fitted smoke alarm.

And 15 per cent had alarms fitted which would not work because the batteries had been taken out or were flat.

Battery Bob, who will appear in TV's hit show London's Burning next year, will be popping up in all sorts of places to focus the campaign on:

The importance of fitting smoke alarms.

The need to test batteries, beginning on October 1 and continuing on the first of every subsequent month.

Making the first week in January the Annual Smoke Alarm Battery Replacement Week.

The enormous potential of community networks, highlighting examples like the co-operation of Age Concern and stockists of smoke alarms to crack the problem together.

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