Keighley's crime prevention officer is warning people to be on their guard when offered smoke alarms by door-to-door salesmen.

Instead, Pc Adrian Foyston urges members of the public to take advantage of the fire brigade's offer of free fire-safety checks rather than buy more expensive alarms at the door.

"The Fire Service has offered to visit people and give advice to residents about how to prevent fire in their homes," says Pc Foyston. "in some circumstances they may even fit an alarm for free."

He says fitting an alarm bought from a reputable company - at a fraction of the price offered by some door-to-door salesmen - could be a matter of life and death. "By the time the alarm's quality is put to the test it could be too late and there could be tragic consequences," he says.

Doorstep callers pretending to be firefighters have been spotted in the Mannville Road area of Keighley. One such visitor has been described as being in his early 50s and overweight. According to one home-owner, he knocked on the door, announced himself as a fire-prevention officer and offered to fit a smoke alarm for a fee.

Keighley fire officer Joe O'Keeffe says: "We are carrying out house visits but generally have a fire engine with us and two firefighters usually call at houses with identification."

Pc Foyston added that residents should think very carefully before buying anything from door-to-door callers. "They should not let silver tongued salesmen talk them out of large sums of money for products which could possibly be poor qualit," he says.

He advises members of the public not to let anyone into their homes unless they have checked their identity. "Genuine callers will not mind waiting while you contact the company they represent," he says.

The fire service has been visiting homes in Keighley since last month.

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