NORTH Yorkshire firemen are preparing to shed their uniforms in order to raise money for an injured colleague.

Firefighters Tony Peel, Matt Clough, Phil Innis, Jim Winder and Simon Meynell, all based in Harrogate, will be taking part in the third fundraising cabaret night staged by North Yorkshire fire stations.

Their colleagues from York and Northallerton will also be getting down to the bare essentials to help firefighter Peter Hoare, who was paralysed in a road accident last year, adapt his Northallerton home.

The crews have raised over £30,000 for two sick children during the past year, including a firefighter's daughter, and they are set to raise thousands more.

The brave chaps will be taking to the stage on Thursday, May 22, at Northallerton's Club Amadeus, where last year they performed to a capacity audience of almost 1,000 people.

The Harrogate firefighters will present a tribute to The Village People, performing Priscilla And The Queens Of The Desert and, of course, the Full Monty Experience.

Also part of the evening's entertainment will be Naked Flame by York Firefighters' Balloon Dancers.

Entry is by ticket only, available now from Northallerton Fire Station by telephoning 01609 788581 from Monday to Thursday between 9am and 1pm, or ringing 01609 780150.

Updated: 08:38 Monday, May 12, 2003