Merton's newly appointed fire chief has said he wants to put the fire station  back at the heart of the community in an effort to return to traditional values.

As well as promoting fire safety in the area, Rick Ogden, Merton’s new borough commander, wants to promote Wimbledon and Mitcham fire stations as a welcoming community resource that families can feel comfortable visiting.   

The 32-year-old said: "I am really keen to promote our community safety message within the borough and reduce accidental dwelling fires.

"From a personal perspective I’d like to see a return to traditional values of a fire station being at the centre of a community.

"We very much welcome families to come around and bring the kids and knock on the door as well as school visits.

"When you dial 999 we will get there quickly, but we will also have a large role to play in the community in terms of engagement and fire safety."

Mr Ogden joined the fire service at the age of 18 and has a strong operational background having served at stations across London.

He attended both the London riots in Tottenham, Peckham and Brixton, and was one of the first officers on the scene at Aldgate Station following the 7/7 bombings.

On that time he said: "The riots were a really stressful period.

"We were working in a very uncomfortable atmosphere.

"There was something in the air during those times so it was very challenging.

"I dealt with some of the biggest fires in my career during that time in pretty tough circumstances."

"I had a whole road that went up in London Road with 10 or 20 houses."

Mr Ogden replaces Darren Munro who has taken up the role of Borough Commander in Wandsworth.