UNION leaders fear a £5million merger of two fire stations could put lives at risk.

Last week the Evening Times revealed the stations at Parkhead in Glasgow's East End and Cambuslang are set to close under plans backed by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue.

And the proposal has now been approved by Strathclyde Fire & Rescue board, meaning around 80 firefighters will move to a purpose-built station in the East End.

A number of staff will be redeployed to other duties.

The merger will save the service up to £700,000 a year and officials insist a new station is key to coping with the extra demand from a planned 10,000 homes, new sporting facilities and community buildings.

Dalmarnock is set to be transformed if Glasgow wins its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth games.

Fire chiefs claim the M74 extension will ensure there will no significant impact on response times.

But Ken Ross, Scottish regional secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "If you live at the back end of Cambuslang or Parkhead it is going to take longer for the crews to reach you.

"The driving force is cost, but it will take longer to reach certain areas. That has to be a concern."

SFR's board has commissioned a detailed feasibility study into the proposals and consultants have been asked to identify potential sites.

Union officials have also raised concerns that some older firefighters will be redeployed to community safety posts and replaced with civilians when they retire in a further bid to cut costs.

Around 30 firefighters are based at Cambuslang with over 50 at Parkhead.

An SFR spokesman said: "There will be no job losses or reduction in service as a result of the proposal."

Brian Sweeney, chief officer of SFR, added: "Both stations are in need of considerable investment and the proposals ensure SFR is better placed to deal with the changes in this area."