FOR the first time in 54 years, there will be nobody from the Loftus family fighting fires in Bolton.

Dedicated Tony Loftus has ended a 32-year career with the fire service after following in the footsteps of his father, Kevin

The 50-year-old, whose career has seen him tackle some of Greater Manchester's most devastating fires, said he will miss the "camaraderie" of the station.

He also urged young people to consider pursuing a career in the service despite recent government cuts.

On Sunday, December 28, Mr Loftus, who lives in Sharples, worked his last shift as Bolton North crew manager, a position he has held for nine years. He was presented with a commemorative axe by his colleagues and a plaque by county fire officer Steve McGuirk.

Mr Loftus said: "All of it, the camaraderie really, that is the main thing I will miss.

"Being with the lads at the station is what I will probably miss the most."

Mr Loftus's father Kevin, aged 79, joined the fire service in 1961 and was still serving when his son joined in 1983 as an 18-year-old.

Loftus senior worked out of Bolton Central fire station for his whole career.

On working in the service, Mr Loftus added: "They are cutting it massively. I think we have gone from 2,100 in Greater Manchester to 1,100 in the last few years. The number of engines is being reduced and they are planning even more cuts by the looks of things.

"But, it is no different from anything else in the public sector.

"It is still a great job. You are responsible for people's security and, while it's not the best paid job in the world, it's a good career with progression.

"And you will make a lot of friends along the way."

Mr Loftus has responded to thousands of calls over the course of his career, but highlighted two incidents that stuck in his mind.

As a fresh-faced 20-year-old, one of the first major fires he dealt with was the Christmas Day fire in Massey Street, Bury, in 1984, which killed nine people, including four children.

He said: "I'd not been in the job long and was down to work Christmas Day.

"I ended up carrying out the dead bodies of two kids from this house on Christmas Day. Needless to say that one stayed with me."

The other call which is still fresh in his mind came in 2012, when he was a crew manager.

Four of his men ended up in hospital after a gas cylinder, buried in what firefighters believed was a routine rubbish fire, exploded in the early hours of May 12.

Mr Loftus added: "I remember the station at Salford said they heard the bang from there.

"How nobody was killed that night I will never know."

Mr Loftus lives with his wife Barbara, 10-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter, as well as two foster children.

He added: "I'm hoping to get a bit of a driving job somewhere. I'm certainly not ready to stop working just yet."