PARISH councillors in Haworth will meet members of the public who have been protesting against the closure of Haworth Fire Station.

On the agenda for the meeting, due to be held at the Old Sun pub on January 14, is a proposal to form a Friends of Haworth Fire Station group.

The facility officially closed as a retained fire station on New Year's Eve.

The protestors were invited to meet members of a steering group who have been liaising with West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue in a bid to keep the building open.

Councillor John Huxley, chairman of Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council, said: "Hopefully between the community representatives and the steering group we can find a way of keeping Haworth Station open and available for community use."

People who mounted a last-ditch attempt to keep the retained fire station open have voiced their sadness following the facility's closure.

The station shut down despite three recent street protests in Haworth to save the local service and a two-year initiative to try and replace it with some form of community-run safety provision. The station had been in operation for nearly 50 years.

Posters on the Save Haworth Fire Station from closure Facebook page expressed their disappointment on the day of the closure.

One member of the page wrote: "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all past and present fire fighters that served at this station. Thank you for saving countless lives, homes, businesses and vehicles. "It's the end of an era...goodbye Haworth Fire Station."