Thousands of worried residents have thrown their weight behind a campaign to save one of Shipley's fire engines.

Firefighters in the town have been overwhelmed by support from people who do not want to see the town's second engine moved to Bradford, leaving them with just one.

In less than a week, more than 3,000 people have signed petitions in protest against the plan put forward by West Yorkshire Fire Authority as part of its modernisation programme.

Shipley firefighters are now calling for the public's continued support and are urging 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.

Andy Clayton, temporary station officer at Shipley, said: "People have been amazing. In under one week we've collected 3,000 signatures and they are still coming in. Everyone we talk to wants to sign the petitions. They are in shops, doctors' surgeries and pubs - everywhere - and we'd ask people to keep supporting us. We want them to know how much we appreciate their help."

He said the threat to remove the station's second engine was outrageous when there had been an average 14 pence rise per week in the fire service's community charge precept last year.

"The feedback we're getting from people is that they are furious they are having to pay more and more rates for fire service cover but are actually going to get less for their money," said station officer Clayton.

Firefighters claim people in Shipley and Baildon 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. The authority's plans also include reducing staff at the station from 52 to 28.

West Yorkshire 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 best use resources.

A fire service spokesman said West Yorkshire Fire Authority's plan had identified pockets of high activity in the Bradford area and that Shipley's second fire engine often spent its time covering Bradford.

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

The spokesman added: "As part of the consultation process we will be glad to see any petitions or back-up information from the public and community to help us make the right decision."

But Station Officer Clayton said: "I've been stationed here for three years and could count on one hand the times I've been called out to Bradford.

"It's so infrequent that Bradford call-outs hardly register on our records."