Somerset fire engine removal plan on hold during pandemic

Plans to remove fire engines from three stations in Somerset have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service was due to move from three engines to two in its Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil stations from April.

The fire authority said the reductions would still be implemented once the "national situation allows it".

A spokeswoman said: "We will update further as soon as we can on the new timescales."

Last year, the fire service drew up plans on how stations, engines and crews could be best deployed across the two counties, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Under the scheme, agreed in January, each station would see its cover reduced to two engines, with the third being replaced by "alternative vehicles" to either assist with firefighting or transporting crews.

The spokeswoman said: "We had planned to start replacing the third engines presently based at Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil, towards the end of April through to July.

"However, due to the current circumstances, we are having to review these moves in line with the ability of our engineering workshops, suppliers and driver training colleagues to facilitate them."