FIRE chiefs have moved to quash fears three Mid Cheshire stations will close and three pumps will be lost under a proposal to merge the service.

Last week we revealed how Mid Cheshire firefighters were concerned about the possibility Winsford, Middlewich and Northwich fire stations would all close, to be replaced by a centralised fire station, possibly based on Winsford Industrial Estate.

Under the proposal, the number of fire engines would drop from five to two.

But Evan Morris, head of communications at Cheshire Fire Brigade, said: 'It is not going to happen.

'For anything like that to be allowed we would have to prove that merging the service would improve fire cover in the area, that it would actually save lives. Then it would have to go through a public consultation.'

Last week deputy fire chief Keith Newnes confirmed to the Chronicle that combining Winsford, Northwich and Middlewich fire stations was one option which had been identified as far back as 1996.

He said each fire authority has been instructed to draw up an Integrated Risk Management Plan of its area.

'Cheshire Fire Authority is in the process of doing so and is scheduled to publish its draft plan shortly for consultation across all its stakeholders, inclusive of employees and representative bodies, which will take 12 weeks,' he added.

'The basic purpose of the review is not to provide a tool which could be used to implement a mass closure of fire stations and reduction of jobs, but to ascertain whether an alternative use of resources could provide a better balance between prevention and emergency response.

'A number of 'options' for change will result from the plan, but any proposals would not be put into effect until full consultation had occurred with all the stakeholders.

'This has been an ongoing process in Cheshire since the early 1990s. In respect of the Winsford, Northwich and Middlewich combination of stations, this was one of the six options of review as far back as 1996.'

Steve Burrage, sub-officer at Northwich fire station, said he was waiting to see an official report but believed a reduction in pumps would not present a problem.

'It all depends on how it is to be done and what type of station would be created,' he said. 'Regarding the reduction of pumps, we often have only one available at Northwich and one at Winsford anyway.'