A BIDEFORD firefighter has retired after 26 years service to accompany his wife on a volunteer mission to Africa.

Bideford Group Commander Pete Newman and his wife Catherine ('Cath') are preparing to leave their home in Torrington and move to Ethiopia.

Fifteen years ago the couple embarked on a similar challenge in Belize where Catherine worked for the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and Pete worked for the local fire service.

Cath, who is a member of Bideford Blues Running Club, said: "Once we had done Belize we decided we would like to work abroad again but it was finding the right time. It has come now as Pete had the opportunity to retire at 50 and I finished a project for North Devon Plus where I worked in March."

The couple said Ethiopia is a high-need country. Cath is going to be running an English language centre at Aksum University in Tigray and Pete is hoping to go back to his photographic roots while supporting his wife in her new role.

Cath is likely to be the only English person at the university and they are probably going to be the only English couple living in the town.

Cath said: "It is daunting but there are more than 100 VSO volunteers across the county."

Once there Pete said he will also look at how he can implement his fire service skills into the community.

The couple plan to stay in Ethiopia for two years but are leaving their options open.

Pete said: "We love it here in North Devon and will come back, but not necessarily after two years."

Pete's last day with Bideford fire service was Tuesday. He joined the Torridge team six years ago starting in Holsworthy after a period working at headquarters just outside Exeter.

Before that he had spent 10 years working in Exeter and Exmouth where he started his career.

He said: "I will definitely miss the people and once I am out of the routine I am sure I will miss it. I have been with the fire service 26 years and it is a big step. The fire service is a close-knit group and there has been a lot of interaction between myself and my colleagues which I will miss. I will also miss the call-outs. The fire service is moving to much more proactive rather than reactive working but I still got a buzz out of going to a call- out. I have been to a few memorable call-outs — most recently the Hoops Inn — which I was in charge of.

"The sheer variety of calls keeps the job interesting and seeing the move from reactive to proactive working which is a very good evolution of our role.

"Watching and helping personnel, especially in our retained stations, developing their skills has also been very rewarding, especially here in North Devon where they are such an integral part of the service."

It is impossible for Pete to put a figure on the number of calls he has attended over his 26-year career, but other memorable ones include a horse that had fallen through the ceiling of a barn near Somerset and a devastating call 20 years ago while working in Exeter when he realised the address was that of his parents.

Pete was one of the first on the scene and the first officer in breathing apparatus to enter the house. His parents were fine, but he said it was devastating to see their thatched home in flames.

Pete also successfully established a volunteer fire station on Lundy Island.

There have inevitably also been tragedies, but Pete said: "It has been a fantastic and extremely enjoyable career. I am now looking forward to the new challenges ahead and am lucky to be going on to do something else."

Neil Blackburn from Bideford Fire Service said: "Pete has given a lot to the area in terms of his commitment to the service and the communities that they serve.

"He is an extremely committed and diligent member of staff and will be extremely difficult to replace. He will be missed."