Union leaders today vowed to fight spending cuts at London Fire Brigade which they warned threatened station closures and hundreds of job losses.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said proposals to be debated next month on how to make savings of almost £65 million included the loss of 600 jobs and the closure of 17 fire stations in the capital.
London Mayor Boris Johnson told the London Assembly today there would be closures but he denied that a specific list had been drawn up and said attendance times at fires would not be reduced.
The number of fires in London had fallen by half over the past decade and fatalities had been cut by a third, he said, adding: "We will make sure we don't see a reduction in fire cover or our ability to fight fires."
The FBU's regional secretary for London, Paul Embery, said: "These proposals present the biggest threat to the London Fire Brigade since the days of the Luftwaffe and would lead to the decimation of fire cover in London.
"The stations under threat of closure have stood proudly for generations, protecting local residents from bombs, fire and terrorism, yet Boris Johnson is about to hammer a For Sale sign on to their front doors.
"Such a huge cut cannot be made without there being an impact on public safety, and we call on Londoners to join with us in defending our fire service.
"The London Fire Brigade is a proud organisation with a fine history, but it is now facing possibly its greatest challenge. Its leaders must do the right thing and tell the politicians these cuts are wrong and dangerous. If they don't do it, the FBU will."
The plans are expected to be discussed by the London fire authority in November.
