THOUSANDS of people experienced a day in the life of the emergency services at an open day this weekend.

Darlington police station and fire station opened their doors to the public to give people the chance to see the work of the town’s police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Held over two days, the event attracted around 6,000 people of all ages from across Darlington and the wider area.

Visitors were given tours of the police’s custody suite, following the journey of an offender from arrest to being charged or released, and demonstrations from crime scene investigators, the police support unit and the dog unit.

Families could watch how firefighters deal with car crashes and had the chance to try a seatbelt sled to give them the idea of what it feels like to be in a crash.

Youngsters also tried their hand at firefighting and wearing breathing apparatus, as well as sitting in the back of an ambulance and learning vital lifesaving skills from paramedics.

Chief Inspector Chris Reeves, of Darlington police, said: “It was a demonstration of how all the emergency services work together.

“Our staff really enjoyed meeting the public and it brought it back to them about why they got involved with the police in the first place.”

He said some youngsters who have previously been in trouble with the police also attended the open days.

“It was really refreshing to have a positive discussion with them,” he added.

Phil Innis, district manager for the County Durham and Darlington Fire Service, said it was the first time the services had come together to host a joint open day.

“We want to thank everybody who got involved on the day. My lads were buzzing off it. It was a really successful event,” he said.

Colin Gibson, operations manager at the North-East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said: “It was absolutely brilliant – the back of the ambulance was full all weekend.

“We have gained a lot from it and it has improved relations with the other emergency services.”

The open weekend is to become an annual event and officers are asking for feedback and any suggestions of what people would like to see at future events.

Email suggestions to djsnu@durham.pnn.police.uk or for more information search “Darlington police” on Facebook.