FIREFIGHTERS were overwhelmed by public support when they held a charity collection on Saturday.

A 18-strong crew of firemen from the Farnworth station, including off-duty officers, visited the Ellesmere Shopping Centre in Walkden to collect money for the benevolent fund set up to help the families of firefighters killed in New York.

Station Officer Chris Ward said: "We're still adding up the money, but we got a superb reaction and people were practically throwing money at us they were so keen to help.

"It's good to see that people think highly of firefighters not just here, but all over the world."