A debate on a controversial plan to move a fire engine away from Shipley was taking place today.

Members of Bradford Council were discussing a proposal to switch one of the town's two fire appliances to Bradford.

Bradford Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton was moving a proposal expressing the council's concern about the relocation plans.

Shipley Conservative councillor David Heseltine was presenting a motion asking the full council to oppose the plan.

West Yorkshire Fire Authority has put forward the relocation proposal as part of its modernisation programme, but firefighters in Shipley have received overwhelming support from the public who do not want to see

the second engine moved out

of the town; more than 3,000

people have signed protest petitions.

Andy Clayton, branch chairman of the Fire Brigades Union, said the proposal did not just affect Shipley because the second appliance provided 24-hour back-up cover to other areas

in the Aire Valley, ranging from Skipton and Keighley in the

west to Rawdon and Idle in the east.

He said firefighters had had a fantastic response from the public, many of whom had not known about the proposal.

Shipley firefighters called for the public's continued support and urged them to write to local councillors, West Yorkshire's Chief Fire Officer Phil Toase, at the Birkenshaw HQ, and to Shipley Labour MP Chris Leslie as part of their campaign.

Fire crews claim people will suffer if the engine is taken from them because there will not be enough cover and response times to call-outs will inevitably be longer. Staff at the station will also be reduced from 52 to 28.

The Fire Authority is consulting on the proposal until the end of the year and firefighters intend to hand over the petitions at its next meeting on December 19.

The Government now demands every fire authority in the country produces a risk assessment plan to make the best use of resources.

Last year, Bradford Central crews were called out to 5,589 incidents with a high death and injury risk rate, whereas Shipley attended 2,293 in their own area.