A FUNDRAISING car wash due to be held at Keighley Fire Station over the weekend was called off due to an emergency in Shipley.

The event had been meant to take place on the station forecourt on Saturday (August 11). Half the proceeds would have gone towards helping fund a pair of young horse riders from Keighley – 13-year-old T-jay Wilson and 16-year-old James Reed Griffiths – who will compete in next year's Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.

Keighley firefighters were going to take part in the event but were instead called out to help their colleagues deal with a major blaze at AWM Recycling Firm, in Valley Road.

Guard House Avenue resident Carole Myers, who is T-jay's grandmother, said: "We were told about an hour in advance that the car wash couldn't go ahead. I could understand 100 per cent, obviously the fire took priority.

"I'll be going down to speak to someone at Keighley Fire Station about doing the car wash on a different date, we haven't confirmed when that will be yet."

Carole confirmed other fundraising is ongoing to help pay for the boys' travel and accommodation costs when they participate in the equestrian section of the games to represent Team GB next March.

Both of them regularly attend sessions at Haworth Riding for Disabled (RDA). James has been riding for five years and T-jay for nine years and the boys enter the RDA National Championships and Special Olympics events each year.