THE man who successfully led a team of more than 80 fire fighters in tackling the Govan scrapyard blaze in March is the new boss in charge of Clydebank’s fire crews.

Scottish Fire and Rescue has appointed Jim McNeil as local senior officer for East and West Dunbartonshire, Argyll and Bute and he said communities will be at the heart of his job.

LSO McNeill has been in the service for 20 years. and was at the helm during the Govan fire which created a towering plume of smoke which was famously visible from space.

Jim told the Post: “My predecessor, Jim Hymas, left a legacy of high standards and I will absolutely ensure that we continue to meet them.

“As the area manager, I will continue the service’s commitment to finding local solutions to local problems.

“Working with our partners across four local authorities and colleagues in the emergency services, I want to make sure that the needs of the people are at the heart of everything we do.

“The town and villages in this area are made up of such diverse social and cultural backgrounds, and the geography can include everything from built up urban areas to isolated islands.

“Because of this, the area – quite rightly – has high expectations and high demands of the service, and the needs of one community can be vastly different from another.

“The skills and leadership qualities that I have developed over the last two decades have prepared me for this new challenge.”