A £2MILLION scheme which will transform fire fighting in a rural Ribble Valley village is underway.

Work has begun to build a new water network around Slaidburn including a pumping station and a high-pressure fire hydrant system.

Previously, firefighters have had to rely on water from brooks, ponds and the River Hodder to fight large blazes in the remote area.

But during the winter they have faced problems with water in the brooks and ponds freezing over making the task of fighting fires increasingly difficult.

The new system being installed by water company United Utilities will provide the village with high-pressure water making it “less time consuming and more efficient” to tackle fires.

Dave McGrath, watch manager at Clitheroe Fire Station, said: “We have to pump water from the brooks up to fire appliances across roads making the whole process inefficient.

“Last year, we had a fire in a barn and we had to send more fire engines than we normally would because they already contain 1000 litres of water and it means we have to pump less water up which is very time-consuming.

“This will make the abstraction of water swift and readily available.”

The work is part of a scheme to connect 115 homes and businesses in the village to a public water supply for the first time ever.

In March, this year the firm announced the scheme after revealing villagers could be at risk of becoming poorly as a bacteria called cryptosporidium from sheep faeces could enter its private water supply system.

Historically, Slaidburn’s water has been sourced from a number of springs and a local brook via a private network of pipes and is owned by the Slaidburn Estates.

A spokesperson for United Utilities said: “Previously Lancashire Fire and Rescue relied on local watercourses around the village. Often in winter these would freeze.

“We are delighted to build a new hydrant on the local network, providing the village with its own fire fighting means.”