Consultation begins on plans to cut fire engines in Herefordshire and Worcestershire

The Fire Brigades Union has criticised the plans to cut engines

A consultation on plans to reduce the number of fire engines in Herefordshire and Worcestershire has begun.

Eight fire engines could be removed, as well as the reduction of the number of on-call firefighters based at stations which would lose the fire engines.

Last month the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) condemned proposals, saying they were "a serious threat to public and firefighter safety".

The fire service said money saved would be reinvested to improve staff levels.

Andrew Scattergood, from the FBU, said it was opposing the plans, adding services across the two counties had already been "cut to the bone".

"The reality is that removing eight fire engines from the residents of Hereford and Worcester is nothing else but cuts."

'Not the reality'

But chief fire officer Jon Pryce said only fire engines which were not used very often in stations, where there can be a shortage of on-call firefighters, would be lost.

All the money saved would be used to increase staffing levels at the busiest fire stations, he added.

If approved, the plans would mean "more firefighters on the busiest first fire engines, and better availability of our remaining on-call fire engines", Mr Pryce said.

Speaking to BBC Hereford and Worcester, he added: "It is not cuts, this is change.

"It is our choice as to whether we redirect the resources from these eight fire engines that are not very busy and not very available and whether we can use that money in a better way.

"I would agree with the Fire Brigades Union, I would like more money and I'd like more resources - but that is not the reality of the world we live in."