TWO old companions from Blackburn Fire Station who helped save many lives have been reunited after 28 years.

The two Dennis fire engines served side by side in the 1960s and 70s.

The 1956 model, lovingly-restored by crews at Blackburn in the 1980s and kept at the station, was on a recent Trans-Pennine Classic Commercial Vehicle run from Manchester to Harrogate.

Dennis Barker, an ex-firefighter from Sunderland, bought the other model, built in 1960, when it was decommissioned along with its sister engine in 1976.

He drove it across the country to make the reunion happen. The Blackburn engine, a Dennis F15, achieved fame last year when model makers Corgi used it as a guide to make a limited edition replica as part of a a 999 series focusing on police, fire and ambulance vehicles. It is one of only three of its kind in the country.

David Bowers, former station officer at Blackburn, went on the run with old colleague Bob France. David, who served for 32 years, 20 of them at Blackburn, before retiring in 2000, said: "It brought back a lot of memories and it was good seeing them together again. They looked fantastic. They both looked great and that's testament to the hard work put into restoring and maintaining them and the quality of workmanship which went into them all those years ago.

"I used to drive both of them early on in my career and I can remember they were so hard to drive. They're a million miles away from today's vehicles which are turbo diesel and have power steering."

Both vehicles were taken out of active service in 1974 when Lancashire took over Blackburn's fire services and introduced more modern appliances.

They were sent off to the training centre at Chorley's Washington Hall.

While Dennis bought the 1960s model, crews from Blackburn fire station rescued the older vehicle in 1980 and began its restoration under the supervision of station commander Norman Halliwell.