A new fire safety initiative aimed at those moving homes was launched in St Albans.

Herts Fire and Rescue are piloting Move Safely scheme for new home owners or people moving into private rented properties.

The initiative coincides with a new fire safety legislation that is being implement from October - it requires all landlords to provide smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in their property.

The scheme, which was set up by watch commander Greg Duke, asks estate agents to adopt the new legislation and encourage landlords to install the detectors.

Mr Duke, who worked at St Albans station for 14 years, said: "Figures show that in the first 24 to 48 hours in a new property there is a seven times more likely chance of there being a fire.

"This is because often people will go in a check new appliances, turn the gas on, but not always turn it off properly and not everyone checks whether there are working smoke detectors. - so fires can easily be started and spread. And with boxes piled everywhere often the escape route is blocked.

"That is what today is about. Informing people about moving safely - particularly as statistics also showed that you are 40 per cent more likely to die in a fire if your property does not have a working smoke detector."

The launch on Thursday, provided an opportunity for letting agents to ask questions and learn about a brief fire safety check list that they can pass on to tenants.

Andy Simms, from the estate agent Taylors, said: "I used to work with the police and fire doing home visits making people aware of fire safety and anything we can do to raise more awareness is great.

"But I also think we could go further and inspect rented properties to ensure landlords have fitted the detectors correctly."