LOCAL fire crews and the public of Bury have helped raise more than £250,000 for victims of the September 11 terrorist attack.

Greater Manchester Fire Brigade (GMFB) this week announced it had raised the £250,000 for the New York Dependants Fund and expect that to rise to £275,000 by the end of the month.

May 31 will mark the culmination of GMFB's fund-raising efforts. To mark the event New York firefighters Joe Torrillo and Thomas Gogarty will visit Greater Manchester on May 27 for a seven-day stay in the region.

Joe and Thomas came over to Manchester in October last year to attend a charity football match, in aid of the fund.

On May 31, the two NY firefighters will formally accept the final cheque and will draw the winning ticket for a Hyundai Amica car which has been raffled throughout the county for the last month.

During their stay Joe and Thomas will spend a day riding out with crews at a Greater Manchester Fire Station.

Virgin Atlantic will fly them over free of charge and Virgin trains will connect them from Heathrow to Manchester. County Fire Officer Barry Dixon said: "The response to the fund has been beyond our wildest expectations."