Firefighters in Carlisle made use of their most heavy-duty equipment to deal with an unsafe chimney stack threatening to fall on a busy road.

Firefighters from Carlisle west station were called out at 6.30 on Saturday evening to attend to an unsafe chimney stack that was threatening to fall onto Newtown Road.

A spokesman for Carlisle west fire station said: “We used our aerial ladder platform to remove the precariously placed chimney pot.”

The aerial ladder platform (ALP), based at Carlisle east's fire station, is a specially adapted fire engine which carries an extendable ladder able to reach over the top of most buildings.

Carlisle east firefighters were called to the incident when it was decided the specialist appliance was needed.

“The ALP is our safest working platform for jobs at height and we had to close the road briefly to enable us to operate,” the spokesman added.

“A minor diversion down side streets was used and directed by our personnel.

“Many thanks for your understanding if you were caught in the diversion.”