A national agreement has been made so firefighters can deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances, and retrieve dead bodies during the coronavirus outbreak.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue already work closely with partners to help in communities, with many firefighters carrying out extended duties, assisting ambulance service at a range of medical emergencies.

Currently all fire stations are still available and staffing is strong.

Lincolnshire's Chief Fire Officer, Les Britzman, said:"This is a helpful agreement to have been put in place at this time. Our firefighters are dedicated to their communities, and have taken this stance for 20 years, to save lives and protect residents.

"We are working with our emergency planning team to help as much as we can, while still being able to respond to emergencies.

"Our prevention work continues but we're prioritising the highest risk people and places at this time.

"I must also stress to everyone - please follow the national guidance and stay at home wherever possible. By doing this you are protecting yourself, but also key responders, so we can keep services running and reduce the impact of coronavirus as much as possible."

Coun Nick Worth, executive councillor for emergency services at the county council, said: "I'm sure Lincolnshire residents will join me in thanking our firefighters and staff for their tremendous work in these extraordinary times. The spirit and compassion we're seeing is simply outstanding and people are working hard to ensure our own teams and the public stay safe and well."