AFTER 20 years of service, a Dawlish firefighter has bowed out.

A spokesman for Dawlish Fire Station said: ‘Steve Doddwas an excellent firefighter and friend on the station, and his wealth of knowledge was invaluable.

‘He was happy to share experiences and offload information to anyone who needed it, which has been a huge help to firefighters starting their journey.

‘He retired his pager with a smile on his face and memories a plenty - we thank you for your service.’

Elsewhere, firefighters Zoe Welsh and Monika Papież completed their development of firefighter programmes to become competent firefighters.

Also, the station has welcomed its new starter, Gary Cook.

Gary is currently on his Initial Firefighters Course at Severn Park Training Centre for two weeks, but it won’t be long before he’s riding the pump with the crew.