CHESHIRE Fire Service has taken delivery of 20 smart fortwos as part of a four-year campaign to promote fire prevention. Two of the iconic smart fortwos are liveried up in the traditional Battenburg design of red and yellow squares, like mini fire engines.

The remainder carry the campaign slogan urging the public to 'Be smart, be safe'. The high visibility smarts will be driven by frontline fire safety officers and will be appearing at schools and shopping centres, and at roadshows promoting safety relating to traffic accidents.

Cheshire's Deputy Chief responsible for Risk Reduction, Chris Turnock, said: "Our smart fleet is high profile, economic, practical for urban driving, and ideal for capturing the public's attention as part of our 'Be smart, be safe' campaign." Jeremy Simpson, head of smart in the UK and Ireland, said: "Cheshire Fire Brigade's endorsement of the smart fortwo underlines the car's durability and reliability.

The cars will be used in an environment where operating to the highest possible standards is the norm, and we're delighted that the fortwo meets these exacting requirements." The smart fortwo range starts from £6,810 otr. Customers interested in smart should log onto www.smart.com/uk or call the smart Infocentre on 0808 000 8080.