FIRE chiefs said they were amazed by the response to an offer of free smoke alarms and advice following a blaze in Darlington.

The area around Starmer Crescent was targeted by the fire brigade following a fire in a house which was not fitted with a smoke alarm.

Station Officer Steve Wharton from County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Brigade said: "The response to the article in The Northern Echo was that we were inundated with calls.

"As a result there are in excess of 30 houses in that area with extra protection and from our point of view we're over the moon.

"Smoke detection devices make a huge difference statistically, but particularly in an area where fires are happening. It's really important because there are trends that suggest if there's been house fires in a particular area, there's a good chance there may be more.

"It's fantastic to know the people are actually listening to the advice given.

"It won't stop fires happening, but statistics have proved people are between four to six times more likely to get out if they have an alarm."

For more details on how to obtain advice, call (01325) 469129.