From saving souls to saving people from burning buildings, one Portland minister has spoken of the trials and rewards of combining his religious work with volunteering for the local fire service.

The Reverend James Menzies has been vicar of All Saints Church in Easton for close to five years - and since the beginning of this year, he has also helped with the alarm responses, animal rescues and fire-fighting carried out by the area's fire service.

In an interview with the Echo, the minister said he saw his two roles as 'part of the same calling'.

Dorset Echo:

ROLE CALL: Rev. Menzies in his firefighting kit

Born in Germany into a military family, Rev. Menzies. now aged 32, moved frequently as a child and went to boarding school in Dorset, at Claysmore School and then Canford School near Wimborne.

He took up his position on Portland after studying to join the church in Durham and Sunderland - and says he is 'very happy' on the island.

"Portland is a fantastic community - both the church community and the wider community," he noted.

Married with two young sons, Rev. Menzies was inspired to volunteer for the fire service after seeing the bravery and selflessness of its firefighters.

Having completed the selection process at the end of last year, he completed basic training in January, allowing him to go on call.

"It's a bit different from school assemblies and coffee mornings," he said. "It keeps me connected to the real world, and you get some cool bits of equipment to play with."

The minister explained that the role of volunteer firemen - also known as 'firemen in development' - was mainly responding to alarms, animal rescues and gaining entry to buildings for paramedics - as well as covering for full-time firemen when they're called out.

He has been involved in some notable incidents in the area, such as helping to rescue a motorist trapped in his car after driving off Portland Bill in March, as well as dealing with a shed fire in Wyke Regis one Saturday in July.

And while his new role does mean he could have to abandon a sermon midway in case of an emergency, he finds that the duties of minister and firefighter complement one another.

"In both roles, you need to be a people person," he explained. "I see them as part of the same calling.

"The Bible says that the Son of Man - that's Jesus - didn't come to Earth to be served but to serve. It's all part of my ministry on Portland."

He added that his congregation has been 'very positive and supporting', both before and since he signed up for the fire service.

But he insisted he has no plans to swap the dog-collar for the yellow hat on a permanent basis. "It's a privilege to work with the lads," he said. "But I love my job as a vicar too much."