While the fire service has denied there was any risk to the public posed by the ageing fleet of appliances, a spokesman has admitted that ideally it would like more funding for improvements to the fleet and the service overall.

It has been revealed that around 40% of Northern Ireland's fire appliances are technically obsolete at more than 10 years old, with two veteran engines approaching their second decade in service.

Government figures have revealed that 46 engines out of the total fleet of 111 are at least 10 years old.

However, the NI Fire and Rescue Service claimed that the average operational life of a fire engine was around 10 to 12 years, but that it was not a hard and fast rule.

This means that, going by current figures the service would have to buy around 13 machines a year to stay within obsolescence guidelines.

The spokesman said: "NIFRS's fleet replacement strategy monitors the age and condition of all fire appliances at each fire station across Northern Ireland to ensure the best use of resources."

He added: "When a fire appliance reaches the end of its current life span, either due to age or condition, it will be replaced."

Each fire unit costs between £100,000 and £200,000 on average.

Meanwhile, in the latest of such incidents, a fire engine has been damaged following an overnight attack in Londonderry.

(BMcC)