Axe threat to stations.

PLANS to lose two fire stations in Northumberland were criticised.

Fire crews are calling on councillors to scrap the plan, which they say could leave taxpayers paying more for a worse service.

Northumberland Fire Brigades Union is calling for a re-think of the three-year-old Northumberland County Council backed plan which proposes closing fire stations at Blyth, Cramlington, Ashington and Mor-peth.

Two Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funded fire stations would be built in Pegswood and West Hartford. Up to 28 full-time frontline firefighter posts, one in six of Northumberland's total of 164 full-time frontline firefighters, would go.