ROYAL Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) have issued some extra safety tips ahead of the Easter bank holiday.

The group manager of RBFRS Paul Jones believes that they sometimes see an increase in case call outs to emergencies during bank holidays.

He said: “We wish all our residents a happy Easter and want them to stay safe however they might be celebrating.

“We can sometimes see an increase in the number of call outs to emergencies during bank holiday weekends, so we have provided some useful information to help keep residents safe in their homes.”

The extra safety tips include extinguishing cigarettes and other smoking materials properly, not throwing cigarette ends out of car windows, not leaving bottles or glass in woodlands, only using barbecues in a suitable and safe area and avoiding having open fires in the countryside.

Paul added: “This involves advice on keeping electrical devices in order, maintaining smoke alarms and a reminder to residents to avoid distractions and not to leave cooking unattended.

“While bank holidays are often spent with friends and family, we also ask residents to be mindful of those that may not be coping so well. Why not take an hour to check-in on elderly or vulnerable relatives, friends and neighbours and be on the look-out for signs that something might be wrong.”

These additional tips are to go alongside normal advice such as having working smoke alarms, never leaving cookers or burning candles unattended and not overloading sockets.