'People look twice when we're called out to an emergency'

Identical twins Lee and Liam Myers have been causing double takes at emergencies across the Scottish Borders for more than a decade.

The brothers have racked up more than 23 years of service between them with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) and Police Scotland.

Liam said that the uniforms helped people to tell the difference but they would often "look twice" when they were called out.

He added that they were occasionally thanked for their response to an incident after the event - when it was actually the other brother who had attended.

Lee is a paramedic clinical team leader for the SAS in Melrose and, before joining them, worked for the SFRS while Liam is a detective constable for Police Scotland in Galashiels and joined the force in 2012.

As twins, the brothers - who grew up in Coldingham - are used to people mistaking one for the other.

"Being identical twins has caused lots of confusion over the years," said Lee.

"We've got lots and lots of examples of this - everything from going to a car accident and having to explain to a person that they didn't have a serious injury, there were actually two of us.

"He became very distressed when he was seeing two people the same standing in front of him."

He said the fact that they had worked for three emergency services between them over the years was also a source of some local amusement.

"It became a running joke that there was just one of us with three uniforms in the car," he added.

However, he stressed that there was no chance of them swapping places nowadays as they might have done in their youth.

"Maybe once or twice back in our school days, we may have swapped the odd class or two," he said.

"Or when we first started working in the village shop back in the old days, we maybe swapped a few shifts, but in a professional capacity we don't."

However, there are some differences that people have used to tell them apart.

"My brother's got his right earlobe missing," Lee said.

"So you'd be standing speaking to someone and they would lean to the side to check your earlobe so they could try and get the name right.

"And when we first started school, we both had to wear name badges because it was just too confusing."

Liam said that nowadays they were most often mixed up when they were off duty.

"There have been a few times at incidents when people would look twice when they saw us, but the uniform has definitely helped," he said.

"Occasionally, a member of the public will approach us to thank us after an incident, but they met the other brother - we are always happy to pass on the message."

He added that sharing the journey with the emergency services with his twin brother made it "even more meaningful".

"Although we wear different uniforms, we are driven by the same purpose - being there for people when they need it most," he said.