Tributes paid to town firefighter

Mr Brown helped extinguish a fire at a house in Irvine

Colleagues have been remembering a long-serving firefighter who became ill and died after tackling a house fire.

Tom Brown, 53, was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire on Tuesday but died later on Wednesday.

He was a member of Green Watch at Kilwinning Fire Station in North Ayrshire.

On Tuesday Mr Brown had been among a group of four firefighters in breathing apparatus who extinguished a fire in a house in Irvine.

When he and his fellow firefighters left the house, Mr Brown became ill.

His colleagues immediately called for an ambulance and gave Mr Brown oxygen.

Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Tom's partner Natalie and the rest of his family at this difficult time Brian Sweeney Strathclyde Fire & Rescue

Brian Sweeney, chief officer of Strathclyde Fire & Rescue, paid tribute to Mr Brown: "Tom was a very able firefighter and also very popular in the service.

"He was also well-known in sporting circles, particularly at Rugby Park where he took photographs for Kilmarnock FC at their home matches.

"Everyone in Strathclyde Fire & Rescue is shocked by Tom's passing. His last act was, typically, to protect the community by tackling one of the many house fires he would have encountered in his career.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Tom's partner Natalie, stepdaughters Natasha and Jessica and the rest of his family at this difficult time."

Mr Brown joined what was then Strathclyde Fire Brigade in February 1979.

He served for 20 years at Johnstone Fire Station before moving to Kilwinning in 1999.