After 29 years of protecting Cumbrian communities, Area Manager Stuart Hook has officially retired from service.

Stuart was presented with his commemorative axe in front of a packed Control Room at CFRS HQ filled with colleagues past and present.

Stuart’s journey in Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service began as a firefighter and culminated with him retiring as a hugely-respected member of the service’s leadership team.

In his time with the service, Stuart played a crucial role in the response to a number of high-profile incidents, including Storm Desmond in 2015 and the Scalesceugh Hall fire in 2019.

A spokesperson for Cumbria Fire and Rescue said: “His deep understanding and care for our communities, excellent command of incident response, and stellar leadership will be missed.

“Good luck for the future, Stuart.”