A SET of collectable postage stamps inspired by the Essex fire service is being produced by Royal Mail.

The company contacted Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, asking if they would be willing to take part in producing a new range of stamps about firefighters and their work.

The service will join the likes of Marie Stopes, who took the lead on family planning, Westminster Cathedral and Scottish poet Robert Burns in philatelists’ collections across the UK.

There will be six stamps produced depicting firefighters working at various types of incidents.

These are: a chemical incident, a major blaze, the urban search and rescue team, a road traffic collision, a water rescue and a generic firefighters image.

The fire service supplied the postal company with photographs of such incidents, and artists will then produce sketches inspired by these for the stamps.

A Royal Mail worker also spent a day at an Essex fire station – Brentwood – to get a feel for the job, and to get information for special presentation cards, which will be included in the pack.

The photographs will also be used in this pack.

A spokesman for Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been asked by Royal Mail to take part in this special set of stamps.

“Essex is one of the largest fire and rescue services in England and Wales, and we respond to a huge variety of incidents across the county.

“It is wonderful to be able to showcase some of the excellent work our firefighters do, and for them to get national recognition.

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