It is highly disturbing that five West Yorkshire pensioners, including one in Haworth and one in Brighouse, have lost their lives after fires in their homes in the space of a fortnight.

For a number of years, a home safety programme carried out by the county's fire service has been credited with successfully driving down the number of these types of tragedies.

But West Yorkshire fire chiefs have now felt it necessary to ask for the public's help in doing more to look after their elderly relatives, friends or neighbours.

There is a growing number of people who are continuing to live at home into old age, many of whom are on their own, partly as a consequence of policy changes where the number of council-supported elderly people's homes has been dramatically reduced.

And statistics show that brings a much increased risk of them suffering fires in their homes be it from smoking, mobility problems or lifestyle where home can become cluttered fire risks.

West Yorkshire Fire Service is urging families, friends, neighbours and anyone who is involved with older people, such as social groups, care workers and health workers, to be aware of the dangers and to alert it so officers can carry out home visits and give advice to stay safe.

In an increasingly busy world, it is all too easy for any of us to turn a blind eye to how our elderly neighbours are coping.

But taking a little bit of time to do so can, literally, be life-saving.