FIREfighters have come up with an unusual way of saving lives.

Desperate to think of ways of reducing the number of house fires on Teesside, Cleveland Fire Brigade crews are offering to give shoppers free smoke alarms in exchange for Easter eggs.

The eggs will be passed on to children spending Easter in hospital.

Thornaby firefighter Marti Pottinger, who came up with the idea, said: "It may seem like a simple idea to give children a chocolate treat in exchange for a smoke alarm, but that smoke alarm could be a potential lifesaver in the event of a fire in your home.

"The brigade is constantly looking for innovative ways to improve the way we work in partnership with others to build a safer environment for the community.''

Meanwhile, Cleveland Fire Brigade is aiming to visit every one of Teesside's 230,719 homes to carry out fire safety checks, even though that could take four years to complete.

So far, there have been 22,500 free Home Fire Safety Check visits, with free smoke alarms fitted where necessary. Visits take about 20 minutes and include advice on fire safety in the home and how to plan escape route to use in the event of fire.

It is hoped the checks will lead to every home in the area having smoke alarms.

Firefighters will be present at Asda supermarkets in the run-up to Easter, offering shoppers the chance to swap a chocolate egg for a smoke alarm and a free home fire safety check.

Mr Pottinger said: "This initiative has given us a great opportunity to work with local supermarkets to publicise our home fire safety checks to members of the public."

Posters advertising the Egg for an Alarm campaign are being displayed in stores in Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, encouraging shoppers to take part.

Firefighters will distribute all eggs collected in the supermarkets to children during the Easter weekend.

There have been more than 170 casualties and more than 1,370 house fires on Teesside over the past five years.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Hartlepool have been handing forms to schoolchildren that parents can use to ask for home fire safety checks as part of a drive to reduce house fires in the town.

Three computers worth £1,500 have been bought by firefighters, which will be given to the schools with the highest percentage of returned forms.