A Greenock firefighter swapped hoses for paintbrushes to raise vital charity funds.

Angus Paton, of green watch, spent six months working on a oil painting that was unveiled on Wednesday.

The dad-of-three, from Brisbane Street, used the image of a vintage fire engine departing from Greenock"s old fire station in Wallace Place for his artwork.

Prints of the painting are being sold for £35 each and he is hoping it will raise £35,000 for charity.

Angus told the Tele: 'I am very proud of the painting. I did the work on it, but I have had amazing support from my colleagues. I couldn"t have done it without them. The proceeds from the sales of the prints are going to the Fire Brigade Benevolent Fund. There are 1,000 prints and we are hoping to sell them all.' "Night Watch" was unveiled in the Grand Corridor by chief officer of Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, Brian Sweeney.

The ceremony was attended by Provost Ciano Rebecchi, firefighters, retired officers and family and friends, as well as councillors and council officials. Angus has been a firefighter in his home town for more than 12 years and has painted for the fire service before. One of his works already hangs in the Provost"s Room in Greenock Town Hall.

The fire engine featured in the painting, NHS196, was brought to the old fire station at the town hall by Bob Wright who restored it.

The appliance was the last one to leave the old station - and the first to be used at the new station - when they changed over in the 1960s.

He said: 'The pressure was on Angus to do a good job and to stay faithful to the beautiful building.

'It took him six months of his own time and he is a tremendous example, one of 4,000 firefighters that I am proud to be chief of every day.

'Angus has had no formal training and has not been to art school.' Provost Ciano Rebecchi said: 'It is great to see this painting being unveiled here and to be raising money for such a good cause.'