JUST FIVE percent of firefighter rescues last year in Oxfordshire were fire-related.

New figures show that little over 20 rescues by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service were from fires.

Instead, statistics show that firefighters in the county tackled hundreds of other rescues for non-fire related incidents.

The details, revealed by a Freedom of Information question by the Fire Brigades Union, showed a total of 416 rescues were carried out in the county.

This included 21 fire-related rescues, and 395 non-fire related rescues such as rescuing passengers from crashes.

The figures were released as part of a national call to government to stop cutting funds to the fire and rescue service.

It said rescue figures have never been so high, since their records began, and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is among those carrying out more life-saving rescue year on year.

This past year the service rescued a total of 416 people, which is said to be a 12 per cent increase on the previous year.

Across the UK, almost 45,000 people were rescued between April 2017 and March 2018 - more than 100 a day.

A statement from the Fire Brigades Union said: "Firefighters carried out record levels of rescues over the last year, underlining the exceptional role of emergency intervention.

" This underlines both the diversity of emergencies that firefighters now deal with and continued importance of emergency intervention."

The statement continued: "Firefighters rescue more people year on year – yet funding is still being cut to the bone – our fire and rescue service needs investment."