A MEMORIAL plaque has been unveiled to a firefighter who lost his life in a tragic blaze eight years ago.

The tribute to Stephen Hunt, a 38-year-old father-of-two, who died tackling an incident at Paul’s Hair World, was installed by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Mr Hunt, who was from Whitefield before moving to Radcliffe, was working for the brigade’s Philips Park station at the time.

An FBU spokesman said: “We will never forget the sacrifice he made serving the community he loved.”

His former colleagues and family and friends were among those in attendance at the ceremony.

Chief fire officer Dave Russel, who also attended, said he was “honoured” to be invited and added: “We will always remember Stephen.”

Later it emerged that the cause of the hair salon fire appeared to be two girls smoking behind the premises.

One Bolton girl was charged with manslaughter over the July 2013 fire but the case was later dropped.

The firefighter’s family was later awarded £80,000 in damages in a county court settlement after Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue admitted liability.