Stephen McPartland, Member of Parliament for Stevenage, met with the Chief Fire Officer for Hertfordshire, Roy Wilsher, and members of Aston Parish Council to reassure residents about the measures in place for tackling fires in the village.  Commenting on the fire that destroyed much of two thatch cottages in Long Lane, the Chief Fire Officer noted that the impact of the fire was due to the wood and thatch nature of the buildings and that in more modern and conventional buildings three fire engines would have sufficient water to contain a fire.

Stephen said, “I have been raising the issue of fire safety in rural villages with Ministers and I was certainly reassured by this meeting. The professionalism of our firefighters in Hertfordshire is of the very highest standard and it is clear there priority is to keep us safe and I will make sure they have the resources they need to keep us safe.

"We all took on board the Chief Fire Officer’s comments and I would like to congratulate Aston Parish Council for agreeing to launch a fire safety campaign with the involvement and support of the fire service, and I hope to be at a number of events to raise awareness. Fire safety is important – it saves lives, with just a few easy actions: getting a smoke detector, shutting doors and having an escape plan."