FIREFIGHTERS and a charity have combined forces for a ‘Blazing Saddles’ fundraiser which will help make a potentially life-saving donation to a country in Africa.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and teamed up with Stotfold Salvation Army for a sponsored bike ride, with the aim to raise the �7,000 needed to transport a redundant fire engine to Meru, Kenya.

The city of 500,000 inhabitants had no fire fighting facilities until last year when Bedfordshire Fire Service donated a redundant fire engine.

Now 12 cyclists from Stotfold Salvation Army will ride 15 miles from Kempston Fire Station to Shefford Fire Station next weekend to help raise funds so another fire engine can be donated.

Roy Scott, one of the Salvation Army riders and the co-ordinator of the event, said: “It’s inconceivable to me for a city not to have a fire service.

“In the past 2,000 shanty homes have been burnt down twice so we want to raise as much money as we can to stop this happening again.”

Mr Scott, who has worked in the Salvation Army’s Care and Share charity shop in Hitchin for the past 10 years, has already witnessed plenty of goodwill from the public after an unknown visitor to the shop overheard him talking about ‘Blazing Saddles’ and returned with an envelope containing �100.

“I couldn’t believe it when I opened it,” Mr Scott added.

The riders will set off at 8am on Saturday, September 4.

To make a donation email tubalationsuk@gmail.com or call Roy Scott on 01462 730348.