ORSETT Fire Station will lose four of its fire fighters amid frontline service cuts.

Four full-time fire fighters, one from each watch at the station, will be moved to other stations across Essex as the fire and rescue service bids to save cash.

This will take the number of fire fighters at the station, in Stanford Road, down from 52 to 48.

Although none of the posts are being made redundant, the move will save money as the fire fighters will replace people at other stations who retire over the next two years.

Following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, the service is facing budget cuts of up to £10million.

Among other stations included in the wave of cuts are Canvey, which will now be manned by a part-time crew, Rayleigh Weir, which is also losing four full-time fire fighters, and Brentwood, which will see the number of full-timers slashed from 51 to 27.

Chief Fire Officer David Johnson said reducing fire fighter posts is the most “straightforward option”.

He said: “With staff costs making up three-quarters of the service budget, a reduction in firefighter posts is one of the primary moves we can make to cut costs.

“Yes that may mean fewer firefighters in establishment terms but it is a relatively straightforward option that will allow us to deliver on our commitment to our staff and ensure we do not compromise on the level of protection we deliver to the public.”

Mick Rogers, secretary of the Essex Fire Briagde’s Union, siad the cuts are the worst in the service’s history.

He said: “These cuts fall short of the Armageddon scenario senior managers had spent the last few months warning us all of, but they still represent the biggest frontline cuts ever seen in the history of Essex Fire and Rescue Service.

“We are yet to measure the impact this will have on members of the public but any reduction in frontline resources will invariably be to the detriment of those requiring our 999 services.”

He added: “The initial response we have received from fire crews on the frontline is a feeling of a perverse reprieve. One member has described it as feeling a little like being confronted by a mugger who demands you hand over £50 in cash, but who then only takes a twenty pound note – you feel like you’ve been let off lightly but in reality you’ve still been mugged!”