MALMESBURY Fire Station is once more appealing for new retained fire fighters.

The Malmesbury crew is unique, as it is the only one in Wiltshire to have two women.

One of them, firefighter Jo Evans, 36, said she would like to see more women join up. Mrs Evans, who has two children and has been a retained firefighter for two-and-a-half years, said she loved the job and enjoyed helping the community.

She said the station would welcome men but was particularly looking for day cover to provide more flexibility.

She said that the hours available could suit some mothers, as cover is needed between 8am and 9am in the morning until 5pm or 6pm in the afternoon.

She said: "There may be women in Malmesbury, like me, who have children and are home during the day and drop their kids off at school.

"We did have another woman at the station but she had to move away. The more people we have got, the more flexible we can be with hours.

The minimum joining age is 18. There is no age limit, but because of the nature of the job, applicants will have to be generally physically fit and be able to respond to a call during the day, said Ms Evans.

Applicants will have to go through a fitness test before joining, but Mrs Evans said there would be constant support and encouragement from the crew at the station to help people pass the test.

She said she has noticed a marked increase in her fitness since becoming a fire fighter. "I didn't go for runs before I joined the fire brigade, but now not only do I run but I go to the gym as well, because I have a purpose for it," she said.

She added that working as a firefighter has also increased her confidence.

"I was lacking in confidence and I was very shy," she said.

"Since I joined it has helped me as a person.

"My confidence has increased which has been helped by my officers."

She also said the adrenalin rush not knowing where and when a call would come was another reason she enjoyed the job.

For the last eight years, firefighter Juliet Lewin, 36, of Malmesbury, has juggled her life running a tile shop in Melksham whilst working for the fire brigade.

She said: "I joined because I wanted to put something back into the community. It is a very rewarding job and if you are entering a burning building you have to get on as a team, which means we all get on really well."

The team spirit is apparent with all the firefighters, said Andy Walker, 22, who works full-time as a firefighter at the airbase in Lyneham and has been at Malmesbury for the last six months.

He said: "The girls are great to work with and have had to prove themselves just like anybody else."

Retained firefighters get a retainer and an additional sum when they are called out.

Anybody interested in joining should go to Malmesbury Fire Station on a Wednesday evening at 7pm, when application forms will be available.