Union leaders say plans to cut the number of fire engines and on-call firefighters in Worcestershire will put crews and members of the public at risk.

The Fire Brigades Union condemned the proposals, which were discussed by Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority on Tuesday (December 11).

The union said the proposals would mean the loss of eight fire engines across the two counties including in Worcester, Malvern and Droitwich, a downgrading of fire cover in Wyre Forest and the axing of 45 on-call firefighters.

Firefighters have warned that reducing fire engines by 20 per cent, from 41 to 33, will put the public and firefighters at serious risk.

A public consultation on the proposals is now scheduled to open in January.

Neil Bevan, FBU Hereford and Worcester brigade secretary said: “These proposed cuts present a serious threat to public and firefighter safety.

“Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is already stretched dangerously thin.

“Response times have hit a ten-year high due to lack of resources. Meanwhile, we continue to respond to high numbers of flooding incidents year on year.

“The fire authority should be investing in the service, but instead they are proposing cutting it to the bone. Firefighters will not sit back and allow homes and lives to be put on the line. We will fight to save our service.”

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary said: “Residents of Hereford and Worcester deserve a fire service equipped to keep them safe.

“We now have fewer fire engines, stations and firefighters than ten years ago, after a decade of brutal austerity. Further cuts will threaten to push the service past breaking point.

“The Fire Brigades Union stands against any cuts that risk public and firefighter safety. Hereford and Worcester fire authority must listen to the frontline and withdraw these dangerous proposals.”

County and city councillor Richard Udall, who is a member of the fire authority, said: "The Fire Authority has agreed to start a wide-ranging consultation exercise to consider a number of options, which will remove some fire engines which we currently struggle to mobilise and to increase the number of full-time firefighters on other fire engines.

“It will mean an increase in the number of full-time firefighters and a small reduction in on-call firefighters.

“I will want to know what people think of the proposals, how it would affect them and how they believe it would change the ability of the service to respond.

“I have ensured that elected councillors will study and see all consultation responses, no decision will be made until all responses to the consultation have been seen, understood and addressed.

“I have not made up my mind on the proposals and will not do so until the decision-making meeting next June. If I do not believe it will work, if I fear it could damage our response times and endanger firefighters or the public, I will not support it.”