BLUE light services operating in Evesham and the surrounding area are set to get a boost after a pledge by the police to work more closely with the fire and ambulance services.

The pledge follows a meeting between the three services where they updated the concordat agreement first signed in 1999, to help benefit the people they serve.

In the original agreement, West Mercia police, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue and Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust, committed to working together to benefit and provide a more efficient and cost-effective response.

West Mercia's chief constable Paul West said: "It is several years since the organisations made an agreement to work together. In the meantime all three have seen changes to their senior staff and we thought it was an appropriate moment to reaffirm this commitment."

He said: "All three emergency services are there to provide the best possible service to the public by being in the right place, at the right time, with the right resources."

Ambulance trust chief executive Russell Hamilton added: "I am very pleased to sign this concordat with the chief constable and chief fire officer. There are a number of areas of service delivery which may lend themselves to joint working and we need to explore these to ensure that the emergency services provided to people living and working in Herefordshire and Worcestershire represent the best value for money."

Chief fire officer Paul Hayden said: "Our three organisations work closely together everyday of the week, including at the scenes of major road accidents. We also signed a water safety agreement in the autumn to ensure an effective co-ordinated response to water related incidents within our area.

The agreement is based upon the government's national guidance for integrated emergency management and is one of the first of its kind in the country.