The recruitment of full-time firefighters in West Yorkshire is being suspended due to the financial pressures facing the service.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority’s personnel and training committee yesterday approved the recruitment freeze until further notice, which could save the service £900,000 a year.

Committee members were told at the meeting that the service will continue to be over-staffed for the next two months.

Last month the Telegraph & Argus exclusively reported how fire chiefs had been discussing how to make savings of between £11 million and £20 million by 2013/14 without harming front-line services.

At yesterday’s meeting, West Yorkshire Assistant Chief Fire Officer Martyn Redfearn, said: “With the financial climate as it is, it is prudent for us to restrict that recruitment as long as possible.”

Mr Redfearn told the meeting at the service’s headquarters in Birkenshaw that consultations had been held with representative bodies, who were concerned staffing resources would drop below current levels but he said that was not expected to happen until September.

Councillor Valerie Binney, vice-chairman of the committee, asked how the move would affect recruitment targets for women and black and minority ethnic operational staff.

Mr Redfearn said: “We have stopped reporting on those targets until we re-start recruitment.”

After the meeting, committee chairman Councillor David Hollingsworth stressed there would be no adverse impact on front-line services.

He said: “This is a sensible decision given the efficiencies we have been able to bring about internally and the likely medium-term financial scenario facing the whole of local government.”