Chief under fire on closure plans; PUBLIC MEETING: Concerns raised over move to axe stations.

Byline: Mike Malyon

WARWICKSHIRE'S chief fire officer Paul Fuller came under attack from residents, councillors, Parliamentary candidates and even a government minister at a heated public meeting last night.

He was challenged to explain proposed changes in the county's fire and rescue operation, that would include closing Bedworth fire station and halving the number of crews and appliances to cover Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Mr Fuller presented his case to a 60-strong audience atManor Park School in Nuneaton, which was part of a consultation process over the plans.

He said: "As an officer of over 31 years' experience, I know we can do better and save more lives and protect the community better.

It is my belief that these proposals will improve the fire service in Warwickshire, at a neutral cost by using and re-deploying our existing resources."

Mr Fuller refused to accept that liveswould be put at risk or that Nuneaton and Bedworth would lose out financially or operationally.

But he faced a barrage of questions as speakers hit out at the county council's consultation document. One resident called him "a hatchet man", while another said that the proposals were a "smokescreen". County councillor June Tandy said: "This plan to amalgamate Nuneaton and Bedworth takes half a million pounds away from the north of the county and gives it to the south."

Borough councillor Marcus Jones said: "I have serious misgivings about this report, which does not give us enough information. If there is to be a newstation serving Nuneaton and Bedworth, wherewill it be located?And where will the funding come from? These proposals do not give the people ofNuneaton and Bedworth any confi-dence, which means they will not feel safe in their beds at night."

Fellow Parliamentary candidate Jayne Innes said: "I am alarmed this document does not give the location of a new station and that there is no timescale mentioned. I do not know how these proposals can be called improvements when we are talking about covering a wider area with a quarter of the firefighters and half as many appliances."

One resident, Trevor Ashley, said: "I had a gas explosion in my house and how glad was I that a fire engine got to me quickly. Under these plans, my housewould have been in cinders."

Borough councillor Bryan Grant hit out at the proposal to close Bedworth station "where they had 1,300 calls last year" and upgrade the station at Alcester "who dealt with 500."

Health minister Mike O'Brien, MP for Bedworth, called for a county council risk assessment. He added: "Recent demands on the fire service in Bedworth have proved the town needs to keep its station. If the cover for Bedworth is moved to Nuneaton, it is obviously going to take longer for the fire service to respond, which, as a resident of Bedworthwould give me cause for concern."

Mr Fuller insisted response times would not be affected. He said: "There would also be an additional pump in Atherstone and a new road accident appliance and small fires unit in Nuneaton. My responsibility is the safety of the community and firefighters in thewhole ofWarwickshire .

These proposals are all about using our existing resources in a better way. I am giving robust advice for the right reasons."

CAPTION(S):

HEATED DEBATE...Warwickshire County Council leader Alan Farnell (on left) listens to points being made at the meeting; below, Warwickshire's chief fire officer Paul Fuller.