Coun Dougie Watkin, county councillor for Norham and Islandshires, said it was a credit to the service that they work in tandem with their counterparts in the Scottish Borders if necessary.

His comments came at Northumberland County Council's Berwick Area Committee at Wooler after a presentation by Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.

Glenn Blaney, watch manager for the service, said that help from Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade helped the service in two of the biggest fires to hit the area last year.

He told members that the brigade was called to help tackle the fire at Redpath Tyres in Wooler in July and the first of two call-outs to A & J Scott's sawmill at Wooperton in September.

He said: "I would like to congratulate you on your cross-border working.

"In other services we beat ourselves up to work across the border and you do it automatically."

Mr Blaney said the service also received assistance from Tyne and Wear Fire Service in those two incidents.

"Without them it would have been really difficult," he said.

Mr Blaney said another major incident last year for the service was in north Northumberland – the moorland blaze in Harbottle in April.

He said that as a result of the fire the service had produced information cards to remind people of the dangers involved in routine burning.

"That incident could have been much worse," he said.

Members praised the service for its work particularly regarding community safety and young people.

Chief fire officer Brian Hesler said the model of using space at fire stations for community resources which had been piloted in Wooler was now being rolled out across the county.

Committee chairman Coun Pat Scott said: "Wooler should have a feather in its cap for this.

"It has got national recognition."