Firefighters who stripped off for a calendar have now raised more than £60,000 for charity.

This year's Red Hot Dates calendar by the West Yorkshire Fire Service has brought in £26,000 alone with copies being sold in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Funds have been raised for the Fire Services' Benevolent Fund and Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Dominic Furby, a breathing apparatus instructor, who organised this year's calendar, said he had no trouble recruiting volunteers.

He said: "This year we raised in excess of £26,000 and the calendars have sold as far afield as Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

"We still have a few for sale but the majority have been sold now. This is the third year we have done this and there is never any difficulty getting volunteers. We have people from right across the brigade who have taken part. This meant that we were able to sell it across the board."

Chris Burgess, of the Fire Services' National Benevolent Fund, said the money raised would greatly assist its work.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is the other beneficiary of the charity calendar. The organisation is entirely dependent on charitable donations to allow it to do its vital work.

Its director of fundraising, Paul Gowland, said: "The Yorkshire Air Ambulance works closely with all the emergency services on a day to day basis, but it makes a welcome change to be involved with the Fire and Rescue Service on a more light-hearted project like this."

The fire service has also decided that £1,000 from the sale of the calendars is to go to the children's ward of Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, where it will be used to buy specialist equipment for children with special needs.

The awards ceremony, planned for the autumn urgently needs sponsors to get it up and running. Anyone who can help should contact its publicity officers on (01274) 655807.