MP joins fire-fighters as petition is handed into Downing Street

2.58.30pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th Oct 2006

Tim Farron MP joined fire-fighters to hand in the petition at 10 Downing Street

Local MP Tim Farron has this afternoon joined with fire-fighters from Cumbria to hand a petition into 10 Downing Street against plans to run Kendal's Fire Station with retained crews overnight.

The plans are part of Cumbria Fire Service's new Integrated Risk Management Plan, which it is currently consulting on. The consultation closes tomorrow (11 October).

Speaking after the handover, Tim said: "My main concern about these plans is the difficulty in recruiting more retained fire-fighters at a time when Cumbria Fire Service is already having difficulties with recruitment. We need to ensure that local residents are not put at unnecessary risk - and therefore need to ensure that there are enough retained fire-fighters before the plans are put into action.

"I'm also calling on the Government to provide a better funding settlement and regulatory regime for local fire services. Cumbria County Council wouldn't have been put in the position of having to make choices about cuts if the Government funded the fire service properly."