Long Eaton now has another permanently stationed fire engine, but this one is NOT available for call-outs and there is no crew either.
Pub entrepreneur Rich Moore has installed a former Devon & Somerset appliance in the beer garden of a pub in the town but has had to change his plans having purchased it from an on-line auction site for £5,000 back in February.
Mr. Moore said: "I was bored in lockdown, looking on ebay on a Sunday afternoon, and I thought it would be a good idea to turn it into a mobile bar and catering trailer basically, but all my plans went a bit pear-shaped because of licensing issues, so I've decided to keep it here as a permanent fixture and put televisions in it and make it into a feature."
The fire engine is now an prominent feature in the beer garden at The Barge, with a 65" screen mounted on one side plus a shelter offering cover to pub visitors during bad weather.
Mr. Moore said that, having experienced licensing issues for his original plans to create a mobile bar, he now aims to serve food from the decommissioned 20 year old vehicle which is still in working order including hoses and blue flashing lights.
It is therefore unlikely to be needed again for its original use even if something gets a little overcooked!