Ref. 19158-15THE fire-fighting and rescue service for Swindon could soon be controlled from out of the region, putting lives at risk, it is claimed.

The Government is planning to abolish the existing Wiltshire and Swindon fire authority which has its headquarters in Drove Road, according to North Wiltshire's Conservative MP James Gray.

New laws soon to be debated in parliament will pave the way for Swindon and North Wiltshire's fire-fighting operation to be controlled from Bristol.

Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawns) said: "This is just another example of power being taken away from the local people."

"This is regionalism gone mad. How can anyone in Bristol know about the intricacies of every town and community in a vast South West region?

"This could cost lives and is a very dangerous step in the wrong direction not to mention creating an administrative nightmare.

"It is the deliberate destruction of local involvement and mirrors what Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is recommending for our police force, which was reported only recently in the Evening Advertiser.

"Now the fire authority is going the same way and local democracy will be the loser."

Mr Gray is also 'very concerned'.

He said: "This will inevitably mean the new fire authority would be less responsive to local needs and concerns.

"The new legislation will also involve the restructuring of the fire service.

"I would support concrete measures that would improve safety and save lives.

"But I have fears that regionalisation will open the door to possible cuts in local fire services by distant regional officials who do not understand or care for the needs of local people.

"John Prescott seems to be more interested in his pet project of breaking up England into a series of regions than actually delivering better quality local public services."

And the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) is also against the proposals.

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist said: "The Government has barely convinced anyone that regional control rooms will improve public safety.

"The loss of local knowledge when every second counts is something they are simply refusing to address.

"The Government needs to commit itself to a major reduction in all fire deaths and injuries and reducing the number of all fires wherever they are and however they start. We need zero-tolerance of all fire deaths."

But North Swindon MP Michael Wills accused Mr Gray of scare-mongering and being economic with the facts.

"This cannot happen without it being voted for by a South West regional assembly," said Mr Wills.

"And it hasn't even been decided that there will be a regional assembly. So the whole thing is so hypothetical to be absurd."

Michael Litchfield