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Firefighters' walk for Bradford fire victims

Shirley Henry
BBC News
BBC Two men hold a Lincoln City shirt with the number 56 on the back. The number represents the people who died in a fire at a football match 40 years ago. They are wearing red shirts and standing in front of a fire engine.BBC
Firefighters set off from Lincoln City's stadium to raise money and remember the victims of the Bradford City fire disaster 40 years on

Firefighters from Lincoln and Bradford have set off on a 75-mile (121km) walk, remembering the 56 football fans who died in the Bradford City fire disaster 40 years ago.

The blaze at the club's Valley Parade ground on 11 May 1985 broke out in one of the wooden stands during a match between the Bantams and Lincoln City.

As a result, 54 Bradford City fans and two Lincoln City supporters died. At least 265 were injured.

Deputy Divisional Commander Andy Dixon, from Lincoln Fire Station, said as well as raising funds for Bradford's Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) and the Firefighters' Charity, the walk would honour the victims.

Firefighters in red t-shirts stand in front of two fire engines outside a football ground. They are holding a blue banner with the words Bradford City Stadium Fire.
Firefighters at the start of the walk, which left Lincoln City's stadium on Friday morning

The walk started at Lincoln City's stadium, with the team hoping to reach Valley Parade in time for Bradford City's fixture with Crewe Alexandra at 15:00 BST on Saturday.

Mr Dixon, who is following the route in a fire engine supplied by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: "It is a huge challenge for our firefighters to cover this distance, but we were determined to do something worthwhile."

Before setting off, Mark Hayward, crew commander of Bradford's Green Watch, said: "It will be hard, but you've just got to keep going.

"Yes, you're going to get blisters, aches and pains. It's just in the head. We're pretty resilient."

The team hopes to raise £56,000.

PSBRU was founded by Prof David Sharpe following the disaster.

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