YOUNGSTERS are learning the importance of planning fire escape routes in their home.

Cleveland Fire Brigade has teamed up with Redcar and Cleveland College to create a short play highlighting the importance of an escape route as part of this year's Crucial Crew initiative.

A member of the brigade joined drama students Lyndsey Tyreman and Colin Bullock to act out a scene where the children have to help the character, Billy, escape from his bedroom.

The play will be performed to eight groups of youngsters from primary schools across the Redcar area this week.

Dave Turton, Cleveland Fire Brigade's community safety officer, said: "Making a fire action plan and thinking about how you would escape from your home can increase the chances of you surviving a house fire.

"By making a plan and installing a smoke alarm and checking regularly that it works can save you valuable time and help you to escape before it is too late.

"Many children's instinct is to hide from the fire, but smoke can find you anywhere and is the main killer in a house fire.

"What we are teaching them helps get them to safety quickly and could help save lives."