Plans to move Shipley's second fire engine to Bradford came under attack at a packed public meeting last night.

More than 70 residents, firefighters and local councillors listened as deputy chief fire officer Kevin Arbuthnot defended the move, which has been proposed as part of the fire authority's integrated risk management plan.

He told residents gathered in Shipley town hall that the authority's blueprint for modernisation looked at how best to use its limited resources to save lives.

But residents said the plans were "robbing Peter to pay Paul".

They say halving the service at Shipley would increase call-out times, hit the amount of cover given to neighbouring stations and put their own lives at risk.

Mr Arbuthnot said Bradford saw three times more activity than Shipley.

"My moral duty is to try to reduce death and injury, and this is the way we want to do it," he said. "The fire engine will turn up as quickly as it did before but it will be one, rather than two. The back-up will take a few minutes more. It is the speed, not the weight, of intervention that is important."

Councillor David Heseltine (Con, Bingley) handed over a petition with more than 7,000 signatures against the proposal. He asked for reassurance that this was not a 'done deal' and was told a decision had not been made.

"I don't think anybody wants to take away from the fact there are problems in Bradford, but reducing what we have in Shipley doesn't make it better for Shipley, it makes it better for Bradford," said Coun Heseltine. "This is not only impinging on the residents of Shipley but this whole part of the Aire Valley."

Residents pointed out that congested roads around Shipley, Saltaire and Bingley meant it would take a long time for engines to reach homes from other stations.

Firefighters, along with Nick Sutcliffe, the chairman of the Fire Brigade Union West Yorkshire, accused Mr Arbuthnot of using misleading figures to back up his arguments. But Mr Arbuthnot said the FBU was "playing with the statistics".

He said that he had to work within the resources given by central government.

West Yorkshire Fire Authority will decide on February 20 whether the move should go ahead.