'Family' of four firefighters to say goodbye to Castleford station

All four members of the White Watch team say they will miss the comradery of their firefighting ‘family.’

Gavin Hampson, 55, retired in March after 22 years. He said: “When you’re together on station for 96 hours in a shift, you really do become a family and form a strong bond, which lends strength in a professional sense when you are called out to an incident.

"We have developed close relationships and I will miss that."

Stuart Minnikin, 55, the longest serving of the four will retire in July after 28 years. He said “It’s an exciting job with no two days the same. I’m looking forward to traveling, fishing and walking in the Lake District but will really miss my firefighting comrades.

"It’s a job in which you can really give something back to society, helping to keep people and communities safe.”

Neil Barlow has served at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue for 26 years and will retire in October. He said “The job is exciting and different every day. I have loved my time with the service and plan to just enjoy my retirement but will miss the people I work with.”

Andy Hepworth, from Castleford, will leave after 21 years of service. “Working locally and knowing and supporting my area has been very rewarding and I have loved the variety of my job,” he said.