PAUL Martindale, watch manager at Ely Fire Station, said he was delighted with the challenge that a fire drill at Ely Cathedral on Monday night presented him and his fellow fire-fighters. We would like to thank the Dean and Chapter for use of the cathe

PAUL Martindale, watch manager at Ely Fire Station, said he was delighted with the challenge that a fire drill at Ely Cathedral on Monday night presented him and his fellow fire-fighters.

"We would like to thank the Dean and Chapter for use of the cathedral - we were allowed to put ladders everywhere and use the smoke machine. We simulated a fire in the archive area which required people to be rescued using ladders, and in total we had about 25 fire-fighters there - two appliances from Ely, one from Littleport and a turntable ladder from Cambridge.

Mr Martindale added that previous training locations of the watch tower on Egremont Street and the former Thurlow Nunn Standen building on Lisle Lane were no comparison to the challenges of evacuating a cathedral.