FIRE crews will no longer be attending calls to some minor non-fire related incidents where lives are not at risk.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service firefighters will not be responding to make the scene of road traffic collisions safe or clean up fuel spillages.

The move is designed to ensure that fire crews are available for life-threatening emergencies more quickly and could save the service more than £100,000 a year.

Group manager Andy Rowse said: ‘If there was any concern that lives may be at risk, of course we would still go. But our attendance at many of these types of incidents is based on historical conventions and is no longer necessary.

‘It is not the best use of our resources to carry out routine tasks at incidents which could be carried out by others when there may be a more serious incident happening elsewhere.’

Fire control operators will ensure that no one is at risk or in distress and there is no threat to the environment, when the call is received but if there is any doubt, fire crews will still attend.