A DARWEN firefighter is set for an emotional meeting with the chief of the New York Fire Department.

Kevin Birtwell, a retained sub-officer, will deliver his 3ft 'pin and thread' copy of the New York firefighters' badge to Daniel A Nigro next Friday morning at the department's headquarters in the Bronx.

It will be a poignant moment for Kevin when he meets Mr Nigro, who replaced September 11 victim Peter Ganci as the highest ranked uniformed officer in the NYFD.

The meeting is taking place before and after memorial services for firefighters whose bodies have not been found in the rubble of the Twin Towers.

Empty caskets are currently being buried in special services which officials from the NYFD are attending.

Kevin, of Sudell Close, Darwen, said: "This started off as an idea and everything has fallen into place at the right moment."

He spent 300 hours of his free time hammering 4,000 pins into a piece of plywood, then wrapping many yards of thread around to make a copy of the badge as a tribute to September 11 victims.

"I don't know what they will make of it and I am nervous but I will be glad to get there now and see what they have got lined up for us," he said.

"We know they are busy at the moment, but we have managed to arrange to take it up to the NYFD headquarters in the Bronx."

Kevin, a retained sub-officer at Darwen Fire Station, Duckworth Street, is going on the trip with area commander Peter Aspden and their partners and also plans to visit "Ground Zero".

"I think that will be a sobering experience," said Kevin who flies out to JFK Airport on Tuesday.

"There are still many people missing and our visit has coincided with many memorial services."

Meanwhile, Kevin has shown the badge to leading county councillors during a meeting at County Hall, Preston.

The meeting at County Hall was organised so Lancashire County Council leader Hazel Harding, chairman Niki Penney and vice-chairman William Trickett could congratulate him on his piece of art.