Image copyright Sir Patrick Stewart Image caption Sir Patrick posed for pictures with the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue crew

A Warwickshire fire crew who helped a famous actor in need have seen their good deed praised on social media.

Star Trek and X-Men legend Sir Patrick Stewart was on his way to Stratford-upon-Avon to support a fundraising event when his tyre blew.

He stopped and asked the crew for directions to a garage and they ended up changing the tyre for him.

Sir Patrick tweeted the team had gone "over and above the call". The service said the actor was a "real gentleman".

'Gents'

The actor, originally from Yorkshire, who is well-known for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek, was travelling to Warwickshire to support the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) which is raising funds to redevelop its costume workshop.

He said his tyre had blown up en route and he had asked the "gents" from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service for a garage.

Image copyright PA Image caption Sir Patrick is a keen supporter of RSC campaigns

Watch commander Paul Vale said: "It was an unusual request at 11 o'clock on a Tuesday morning, but a gentleman arrived at the station asking for help as his tyre had blown and he needed a garage.

"Unfortunately there are no garages in Shipston, so we walked across the road to see if we could assist in any way.

"As the crew were talking, it became apparent that they didn't know who they were helping, so I quickly introduced Sir Patrick Stewart.

"He was a real gentleman and even spent time after talking to the crew. We were just happy to ensure he was safe on the roads and that he was able to make his meeting at the RSC."

Writing on Twitter, Sir Patrick thanked the crew.

The RSC said Sir Patrick was a keen supporter of their campaigns and had travelled "quite some distance" to make the event.