Exmouth residents are being urged to test their smoke alarms this month as part of a fire service drive to save lives.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) is asking people to push the button on their smoke detectors on Sunday October 30, to coincide with the end of British summer time.

The fire service hopes turning back the clocks will coincide with alarm testing.

Mike Burroughs DSFRS fire investigation support officer said: “Time and again my investigations demonstrate the importance of early warnings in case of fire and for people to respond promptly to that warning.

“I can’t emphasise enough that people should not ignore fire alarms, think it is “just another false alarm or worse still disable their alarm.

“Many people only experience fire when they see it in fictional programmes on the TV or at the cinema, so they are taken by surprise when they come across the real thing.

“Fire can grow more quickly than most people realise.”