FIREFIGHTERS are hoping sex sells in a bid to get the safety message across to students.

A giant poster has just been mounted on a billboard on the eastbound side of the Burtonwood services and Warrington firefighters are hoping it will warn the borough's young people of the dangers of fire.

The provocative picture shows a couple whose passions are about to ignite - oblivious to a smouldering cigarette-end which is poised to start a fire.

The campaign message is 'when things start hotting up ... make sure you have protection' and urges students to get a smoke alarm fitted for free by calling the fire service.

To back up the poster campaign 5,000 standard copies of the poster are being put up at colleges in the county as students start the new term.

Geoff Shephard, the service's head of community safety, said: "Young people are one of the main groups we need to reach as part of our programme of ensuring all households in Warrington have smoke alarms fitted.

"We think this high profile campaign with its deliberate double meaning of fire safety and safe sex is an excellent way of getting our message to students.

"We tested the campaign with a small group of young people and the response was very positive so we are hoping that it results in lots of calls to our telephone hotline."

By 2010, Cheshire fire service aims to have offered every household a home fire safety assessment and fitted free smoke alarms where necessary.

To find out more about home fire safety checks call 0800 389 0053 or visit the website www.cheshirefire.co.uk