FIREFIGHTERS in York were thrilled when the former Mayor of New York thanked them personally for their fundraising efforts.

Crews at York Fire Station raised almost £30,000 for New York's firefighters and their widows in the days immediately after September 11 through street and pub collections.

Rudy Giuliani, who was Mayor of New York at the time of the September 11 terror attacks, visited North Yorkshire as the main speaker at the Yorkshire International Business Convention in Harrogate.

The Evening Press presented him with copies of a special front page from September 28, 2001, in which we reported on the York firefighters' mammoth fundraising effort.

Rudy signed one of the copies with a message for the firefighters: "Thank you for your help in our time of need."

He said: "It helped our firefighters and their widows to know that the thoughts of firefighters in York and all over the world were with them."

Station Officer Mal Austwick, of York Fire Station, said: "We would like to thank him very much for his comments about us raising money for the New York firefighters. We hope the money is being put to good use."

Firefighter Paul Twissell, of White Watch, which was the main crew behind the fundraising efforts, said they were pleased to receive the special signed front page for their fire station.

Updated: 11:21 Thursday, June 12, 2003