Crews mop up own station.

FIREFIGHTERS spent hours draining a flood at their own fire station.

Crews at Swalwell in Gateshead were forced to clear up the mess after a pipe burst in their kitchen.

An ambulance crew, who share the station, which opened in November 2005, discovered the burst when they were called out to an emergency at 4.30am today. Water flooding the ground-floor corridor was traced to a burst pipe in the first floor kitchen.

Both floors were a few inches under water and water was discovered cascading through the ceiling into the drying room where firefighters dry off their kit. A crew from Hebburn was also brought in to help with the mop-up.

Crew manager Hyl-ton Archer said: "We kept one appliance aside in case of an emergency but there were no call-outs so everyone helped with the mop-up."

The station is staffed by operational crews, two ambulance crews and community safety staff. It was one of six new stations built under a pounds 30m private finance initiative deal, which was plagued with problems.