Firefighters fulfilled the wish of a lifetime for an Ayrshire youngster who has spent two years battling an aggressive form of cancer.

Kilmarnock six-year-old Alfie Sharpe endured countless rounds of chemotherapy, operations and pioneering treatments in a bid to beat neuroblastoma, but hopes of defeating the cancer were dashed when tumours were found in his brain, making the condition terminal.

Cheree and Steven, Alfie’s mum and dad, have been determined to ensure his time is fun-filled and they got in touch with crews at Kilmarnock Community Fire Station to let them know about their son’s passion for the fire service.

Visits to their local station followed but Alfie was in for a real surprise – as the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) invited him to be a firefighter for a day.

Crew Manager Alan Brown said: “Alfie is an amazing boy who never fails to astound. We’ve been really lucky to have him join our crews here at Kilmarnock.

“He has a wicked sense of humour that constantly makes you laugh and his knowledge of the fire service is second to none.

“His mum and dad are rightly incredibly proud of him and we were absolutely delighted to help them make his wish to be a firefighter come true.

“Alfie completely threw himself into his training and demonstrated every bit of the courage and determination we expect in our firefighters.

“Whether it was tackling fires, climbing ladders or speeding up the River Clyde with a swift-water rescue boat team, Firefighter Sharpe was eager to complete every task.” A vintage fire engine from the service’s Heritage Trust arrived at the family home on Tuesday 8 April to take Alfie and his parents to the SFRS Training Centre at Cambuslang in South Lanarkshire.

Instructors at the world-class facility on the outskirts of Glasgow put Alfie through his paces, as the energetic youngster took on a wide range of emergencies tackled by Scotland’s firefighters.

Martin Savage, the SFRS Heritage Trust secretary, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet such a terrific wee lad.

“Alfie is a truly amazing character who clearly loves the fire service, so we are just delighted to have been able to play a part in making his day special.” Joining a serving crew on a modern fire appliance, newly-designated Firefighter Sharpe began his shift with a turnout to a car fire.

After manning a high pressure water jet and helping to successfully extinguish the blaze, Alfie was whisked under blue lights to the scene of a road traffic ‘collision’ on the centre’s own section of motorway.

No sooner had the road rescue operation finished than Alfie’s crew were turned out to a visually spectacular petrochemical incident, with the family then moving on to join the swift water rescue teams based at Knightswood in Glasgow.

Firefighter George Fisher, a member of the rescue boat crew, said: “The modern fire and rescue service obviously responds to huge variety of emergencies and swift water rescue is something many people don’t realise is part of our role.

“The boats are designed for a practical purpose rather than comfort but Alfie wasn’t the slightest bit nervous about taking to the river and it was great to have him on our team.

“He’s full of confidence and fits right in. While on the water he had lots of questions about how the boat works and what we do, so meeting him really made our day.“ SFRS crews at Kilmarnock are raising funds to help Alfie’s mum and dad fulfil his wishes over the coming days and weeks. Members of the public can contribute by logging on to their fundraising webpage: http://www.youcaring.com/other/arran-bike-hike/156896.