A collaboration that has seen firefighters supporting their ambulance colleagues in more than 800 callouts has now come to an end after four months.

Back in April members of crews from Cornwall's fire stations were brought in to give backup to overstretched paramedics and ambulance staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT) invested in 15 ambulances to be ‘dual-crewed’ with members of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service.

Two of these were based in in Cornwall, with the remainder spread between Devon, Somerset, Dorset & Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire fire and rescue services.

They were crewed by on-call firefighters trained in blue light driving, accompanied by the ambulance service's own medics, with the vehicles operational 24 hours a day in two 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, for six weeks.

Read more: Firefighters join ambulance crews in Cornwall during Covid-19

It has now been hailed as a success, after the last day of August also marked the final day of the link-up.

In total the fire service ambulance drivers attended 804 incidents alongside their ambulance crew members, averaging around 50 calls per week to emergency situations within the county.

The fire service said it was "incredibly proud" of what had been achieved and that the feedback from ambulance service staff had been "fantastic."

Chief Fire Officer Mark Hewitt said :“I would like to convey my sincere thanks to our firefighters that have provided support and worked alongside our SWASFT colleagues during the response to the national Covid pandemic.

"I have always had great respect and admiration of the professionalism and commitment that our ambulance colleagues undertake, but to see this in collaboration has been fantastic.

"As chief I have received many positive comments from SWASFT colleagues praising our firefighters who have worked together to save lives.

"This shared working in times of a national major incident has proven how we can work together and the service supports a continued vision of further collaboration opportunities.

"On behalf of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, thank you all.”