Recruitment drive for 300 firefighters gets under way

Image caption, The fire service will hold a series of recruitment events next month targeted at women only

A recruitment drive to hire 300 firefighters across Scotland has been launched.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said its latest campaign will actively encourage people from a wide range of backgrounds to apply.

Just 5% of Scotland's 3,000 firefighters are women and less than 1% belong to an ethnic minority.

The recruitment push comes as up to half of the SFRS workforce is eligible for retirement in the next decade.

'Women-only open days'

The service will hold four women-only open days in Glasgow, Perth, Inverness and Falkirk next month ahead of the application process opening.

Liz Barnes, SFRS director of people and organisational development, said: "We are committed to ensuring that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reflects our country's very unique and diverse communities - and that is why we are actively reaching out to everyone to ask them to consider a fantastic career as a fulltime firefighter.

"Our message is simple - if you capable of being a firefighter, then we will help you realise that ambition."