More lives were lost to fires in Hereford and Worcester in 2021, new figures show.

The Fire Brigades Union branded a 27% increase in fire fatalities across England as “terrifying” and urged the Government to stem cuts to firefighting services.

Home Office statistics show three people died as a result of fires attended by the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service last year – up from two the year prior.

Fire fatalities in Hereford and Worcester peaked in 2017, when nine lives were lost.

Nationally, there were 280 fire fatalities in 2021 – the highest number since 2017.

The Home Office cautioned that numbers can fluctuate between quarters, but added that it will monitor the situation for any ongoing trends.

The increase in deaths in Hereford and Worcester comes despite a fall in fire callouts, with crews attending some 1,597 last year, down from 1,736 in 2020.

There were 41 fire-related casualties, of those, 20 required hospital treatment.

Nationally, the number of non-fatal casualties fell by 6%, from 6,585 to 6,201, and less than 0.5% of all fires led to at least one fatality.