Don’t forget to change your clocks - and check your smoke alarm

Turning the clocks forward will already be on the ‘to-do’ list for the majority of households this weekend, but WYFRS are urging people to test their smoke alarm battery and clean the alarm casing to ensure dust doesn’t block the sensor.

In West Yorkshire, a significant number of smoke alarms fail to operate, mostly because of missing or flat batteries.

But only half of all householders who own a smoke alarm say that they test it regularly. People are more than four times as likely to die in a fire if their smoke alarm is not working.

Ian Bitcon, area manager responsible for fire safety, said: “Keeping your smoke alarm in the same working order as your clock is so important.

“You soon notice when a clock stops ticking, but it’s more difficult to know that your smoke alarm is not working – that is unless you test it regularly. A working smoke alarm can buy you valuable seconds to get out, stay out and call 999.”