Hundreds support fire cover march

Firefighters fear cutting night cover will increase response times

Hundreds of people have marched through the streets of a Cornish town to try to persuade county councillors to keep round-the-clock fire cover.

The rally in Falmouth was staged to highlight the continued threat to overnight emergency fire cover.

Organised by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), the march took place 10 days before Cornwall County Council meets to decide the fate of the station.

Members of the public marched alongside full-time and retained firemen.

We came into this campaign determined to save 24-hour immediate response cover Terry Nottle, Cornwall FBU

Firefighters and unions have been campaigning for months against plans to end 24-hour cover at Falmouth and Camborne, which the county council said it needed because of an overall £15m budget shortfall.

Camborne and Falmouth are the only stations in the county which are manned around the clock.

In November councillors did a U-turn and made a recommendation that the full council should vote to keep full-time cover at Camborne.

If the cuts go ahead at Falmouth, it would mean cover being provided by firefighters responding from home, which the FBU claims will add time to call outs.

Mr McFadden said Falmouth firefighters saved his parents' lives

Terry Nottle, Cornwall's FBU secretary said he was pleased with the number of supporters who marched through the town.

They included Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the National FBU; Mike Varney, the Mayor of Falmouth; and Eastenders actor Steve McFadden.

"Steve's parents have a house here," Mr Nottle told BBC News.

"There was a fire some years ago and it was the Falmouth crew who dealt with it, so I guess that's why he's so supportive."

Mr McFadden added: "I'm not a save-the-whales celebrity and I'm not interested in politics.

"If it wasn't for the firemen of Falmouth being on duty one night 10 years ago, my mum and dad would be dead."

After the march Mr Nottle said it was now a case of waiting until the full council meeting on 15 January.

"We came into this campaign determined to save 24-hour immediate response cover at both stations - and that resolve remains," he said.

No-one from Cornwall County Council was available to comment, but in a statement it said detailed work was continuing on the fire cover proposals.