Because John will be working as a firefighter on Christmas Eve, finishing at 9am on Christmas morning, and starting again at 6pm for the night shift.

During his 27 years with the service he has worked around 15 Christmases, and said that while some years are quiet, others are hectic.

Feature: Have a thought for those working at Christmas
Jemma Walton meets some of the people working over the Christmas period.
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"Everyone is at home enjoying themselves at Christmas, and of course that is a good thing," he said. "But people have a little bit to drink, or they get distracted, and it's easy for little accidents to happen.

"People forget to check that they've switched their Christmas lights off at night, or that their candles are in a safe place, and that's when we might get called out.

"One of the commonest mistakes is people leaving a wet tea towel near or on a hob. It seems safe, but it can often smoulder away and cause a fire.

"The truth is that if you spend an extra five seconds thinking about your safety you are much more likely to enjoy your Christmas day, rather than spending the day on the pavement watching us put out your house fire."

John said his two children, aged 12 and eight, are disappointed that he won't be around first thing on Christmas morning to see them open their presents, but he will be there for most of the day, before heading off out again at night.

He added: "I knew when I joined the fire service that it was a public service, and I'd have to work on public holidays. You just have to be professional and get on with it.

"Christmas Day is a day like any other, and even if we don't get called to anything there will still be equipment we'll have to check and things to do in the station."