Fire chief sharing plans between Warks and Northants scrapped

Plans for Warwickshire and Northamptonshire fire services to share one chief fire officer have been scrapped.

Warwickshire County Council pulled the scheme at a meeting on Tuesday and instead will advertise for a new boss.

The plans, described as a partnership rather than a merger, had included sharing training and control systems.

Richard Hobbs from the council said the savings made by sharing a chief fire officer would have been "small".

'Disappointing'

Mr Hobbs, portfolio holder for community safety at the authority, said: "It's disappointing that we had to pull out but I didn't feel we were at a well enough developed stage.

"We are appointing a single chief for Warwickshire but we're looking for partnership working in the years to come so we can bring the costs down."

He added the county fire service would still work with Northamptonshire on fire control as the technology has already been bought.

The new chief fire officer will start in May after Graeme Smith, the current chief, retires.