Sheffield school children are delivering a heartfelt message to parents this Christmas- pleading with them to keep them safe at what the fire service says is traditionally one of its busiest times of the year.

With more house fires happening in December than at any other time of the year, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue has teamed up with pupils at Ballifield Primary School to deliver a letter to parents across the county in the form of a heart-wrenching video- called ‘A Christmas Wish’.

Watch ‘A Christmas Wish’ here.

The fire service says distraction from cooking, overloaded sockets and new presents being left on charge all add to the risk.

Head of community safety, Group Manager Chris Tyler, said: “Christmas is an exciting time of year for many people- especially children- but it also comes with increased hazards.

“So as part of your festive preparations, make sure you’ve got enough working smoke alarms in your home. Be careful not to overload sockets with Christmas lights and always turn them off when they’re not in use.

“If you’ve got new toys and products in the home, please do not charge them overnight- especially if they contain lithium-ion batteries. Many house fires start in the kitchen so make sure that you’re keeping an eye on your cooking as well.”

Daniel Cassidy, Personal Development Lead at Ballifield Primary School, said: “Working with South Yorkshire Fire on this project has been an incredibly meaningful experience for our Year 3 children. They are very proud to be part of something that will keep others safe. They have learned first hand how small actions can keep them and their families safe at Christmas and they’ve taken real pride in sharing such an important message.

“The ‘Christmas Wish’ video allowed them to use their voices for something that could genuinely make a difference in our community and we are immensely proud of their wonderful efforts. Thank you South Yorkshire Fire for allowing us to take part in such a fantastic and important project.”

For more information on staying safe from fire this Christmas, click here.

You can also complete our quick online Home Fire Safety Check via SafeLinks to get personalised advice for your home at https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hfsc