SUFFOLK County Council Fire Service is converting its 50-strong car and van fleet to liquefied petroleum gas following a deal with Flogas, the Leicester-based LPG supplier. A'skid' refuelling unit is being installed at the fire service headquarters in Ipswich, which will be used to fuel the LPG Vauxhalls..

These will be followed by a further 40 making up the fire service's car and van fleet. By the end of the year the rescue service expects to have 16 vehicles running on gas, and the rest will arrive as and when vehicles need replacing.

Philip Dillon, who controls the fleet of 151 vehicles, says: 'The cars and vans will run on LPG, which will provide a substantial cost saving on the existing petrol and diesel fuels. This money will be used to fund the difference as we switch the larger appliances from 'red' diesel to ultra-low sulphur diesel, drastically cutting emissions.'