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Plaque to honour Hereford firefighters killed on duty

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service Firefighters standing next to a plaqueHereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
Hereford Station Cdr Alex Hustwayte, Area Cdr Sam Pink and Watch Cdr Ady Morris with the plaque remembering the firefighters who died tackling the Sun Valley blaze almost 30 years ago

A plaque has been unveiled at Hereford Cathedral in honour of two firefighters who died on duty 30 years ago.

John Davies, from Leominster, and David Morris, from Hereford, were killed on 6 September 1993 when a fire broke out in the former Sun Valley poultry factory.

The tribute, designed by local firefighters, was dedicated on Saturday following a service at 17:30 BST attended by about 250 people.

It has been placed on the cathedral walls in the Lady Arbour Garden .

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service A memorial plaqueHereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service
The plaque honours firefighters John Davies and David Morris, who died on 6 September 1993

The fire at the poultry warehouse was one of the biggest Hereford has seen, said the fire service.

Insulation panels in the building's ceiling caused flames and smoke to spread unnoticed, setting alight ceilings, which collapsed.

A fire at the Sun Valley factory in September 1993
At its peak, about 130 firefighters were on scene tackling the blaze, said the service

Mr Davies, 34, a retained firefighter, and full-time firefighter Mr Morris, 35, both died inside the factory.

Prayers in the cathedral were led by service chaplain Rev Dick Johnson, with an address from chief officer Jon Pryce from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

Service personnel past and present attended, alongside the Lord lieutenant and High Sherriff of Herefordshire.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Pryce said it was "an incredible privilege" to speak at the service, and thanked those who had arranged it.

A Red Plaque paying tribute to the fallen firefighters was previously placed at Queenswood Country Park, Dinmore in July 2021.

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