THE family and colleagues of a local firefighter who was seriously injured while tackling a suspicious fire in Greenock have today thanked the service and community for their support.

Andrew Adams, 49, was injured when a wall collapsed as he helped tackle a blaze at the former Larkfield Masonic Association club on Auchmead Road, Greenock, last week.

The father-of-two remains in intensive care at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where his injuries are described as 'life-changing'.

His partner Clare Linning, a nurse, and two children Hannah, 22, and Darren, 13, said they have been overwhelmed with messages of support for Andrew.

Clare, his partner of 25 years, said:“Andy is a wonderful partner and a fantastic father.

“He is not only a committed firefighter but a real community spirit who has enjoyed working with young people through his involvement in the Prince’s Trust and a local cycling project.

“As a family, we are pulling together at this very difficult time with the help of each other, our friends and Andy’s colleagues from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“We have been overwhelmed with messages of support and we are taking great comfort from them.

“But the true extent of Andy’s injuries are still uncertain and we would therefore ask that our privacy be respected at this time.”

Andrew was part of a 24-strong team who attended the blaze in the early hours of last Thursday.

The experienced fireman joined the service in 1989 as a retained firefighter in Greenock.

He became a wholetime firefighter in 1992 at Paisley before being promoted to a crew manager in 2001 and transferring to Ardrossan in Ayrshire.

He ultimately joined Greenock Community Fire Station as a watch manager where he is operational commander for Group 4.

Andrew is a lifelong Morton fan and enjoys yachting.

Kevin Hughes, 50, the station manager at Greenock, has known Andrew for 23 years.

Kevin said: “Andy is one of the most popular and respected figures within the service. He is not just a colleague but a genuine friend to many of us here.

“We are doing everything we can to support Clare, Hannah and Darren at this difficult time.

“We would also like to thank the community for their support and their kind messages.”

Alex Clark, deputy chief officer for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Our firefighters are trained to the very highest standard and always work together as a team when responding to a range of different emergencies.

“When a firefighter is injured in the line of duty it therefore affects the entire Scottish Fire and Rescue Service family, and the injury of Andrew Adams has deeply resonated with us all.

“Clare, Hannah and Darren are uppermost in our minds and we are giving them the fullest support possible at this very difficult time.”

He added: “We are working with Police Scotland to determine the cause of the fire which is currently being treated as suspicious.

“Until the full facts surrounding this incident are established – and in respect to our colleague and his family - it would be inappropriate to comment any further."