Fires claimed three lives and led to 19 casualties in Cumbria over the last year, new figures show.

The Fire Brigades Union said that an increase in fire deaths across the country showed that services are in "crisis".

New Home Office figures show that three people died at home, in incidents attended by the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service between July 2017 and June 2018.

There were also 19 fire-related casualties recorded in Cumbria over the last 12 months, most commonly occurring in homes.

Of all casualties, two were severe. A further 10 required hospital treatment for minor injuries.

Across England, there were 247 fatalities recorded over the 12 months.

The figures also show the work done by the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service in preventing fires. In the 2017-18 financial year, they carried out 10,070 home fire safety checks, mostly for elderly and disabled residents.

They also carried out more than 26,640 hours’ worth of campaigns to alert people to the importance of fire safety.

The FBU said that years of cuts meant a downward trend in fire deaths had stalled in recent years, with one in five firefighter jobs lost since 2010 and accused the government of "burying its head in the sand."