A RETIRED York firefighter has gone to Ukraine to help the local fire services.

Bruce Reid, used to be a watch manager in York and now lives in Knaresborough.

He told Sky News that he made the journey after inquiring at the Ukrainian embassy.

“I think everybody would think ‘is there something I can do?’,” he said.

“I went through the same thought process. I’m recently retired from the fire service. So perhaps I could put that to some use, if it would do some good.

“I made some inquiries to the Ukrainian embassy, to see if they would need my services as a recently retired firefighter. That’s the only reason why I’ve come here.”

He added that he would not want to participate in the fighting.

“I don’t want to have a crash course in the use of an AK47,” he said.

“But if I can get to a fire station in Ukraine and help them then I might be doing my bit.”

Bruce retired from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2020 after 36 years working across the county, including York.

The Press reported last year that he was one of a small number of British firefighters who made it to New York in the days after the Twin Towers were attacked to attend the funerals of New York firefighters after 9/11.

Bruce, along with colleagues Steve Willey, Phil Wheelhouse, and Owen Hines, had to arrange the trip themselves, managing to get hold of Rick Steinburg, the coordinating officer of the New York fire department.

On Twitter North Yorkshire Fire Brigade Union said Bruce had encountered issues taking his kitt on board a flight.