Women firefighters set to get showers in £5m spend

Female firefighters will get separate showers as part of a council's £5m upgrade of its ageing fire stations.

A report for Norfolk County Council's cabinet said its "mainly older fire stations", with some built in the 1950s and '60s, lacked "dignified areas" for women to wash in.

The authority also said all sites needed alternations so crews could safely change out of equipment when returning from incidents.

Members of the Conservative-controlled cabinet are being advised to approve the improvements, with work expected to take place over the next two to three years.

The report said Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, which has been encouraging more women to join, was becoming "more diverse".

It added that £2.2m had already been allocated towards work, with further assessments due to take place of the fire service's 42 stations.

Councillors are also expected to back plans to spend £13.3m on new vehicles, including 27 new fire engines and two aerial ladder platforms.

A report warned that the service had an "ageing fleet" of engines, while its ladder platforms – used to rescue people and douse fires from height – were "approaching the end of life".

Last year the service bought a new platform that could reach 45m (148ft) in height, along with 22 fire engines.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.