PALESTINIAN firefighters have been undergoing training in Scotland to deal with flash floods.

The officers are training with specialists in water rescue at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) centre in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire and on various local rivers.

Strong links have been developed between the Fire Brigades Union and members of the Palestinian Civil Defense Fire Service.

Interior Minister Dr Abu Ali Said said: "The SFRS have developed a course suitable to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian Civil Defense and to deliver skills vital for the humanitarian requirements of the Palestinian people."

The occupied territories, Gaza and West Bank, suffer from flash floods every year.