Cuts to the central Government annual grant to fire authorities have left the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Services facing potentialmajor cutbacks.

The Service estimates that by 2018/19 it will have to make savings of approximately £7.1 million - primarily as a result of cuts in the central government grant.

The cuts would mean losing four emergency response Watch Managers in Brighton and Hove and a 24 hour emergency response fire engine as well as see a high-reach vehicle replaced with a hybrid vehicle.

Conservative MP Simon Kirby (Kemptown) and Mike Weatherley (Hove) have voiced their concern at the cuts and support for the services.

In a letter to them today, Caroline said she was pleased to see them ‘getting behind the city wide campaign to protect local fire services’.

However she said that, with the proposed cuts being driven by their own Conservative Government, the Tory MPs needed to join her ‘in taking concrete action’ and call on Government Ministers to fairly fund fire and rescue services, both locally and nationally.

She told them that: “Withholding funds from fire services is both a false economy and dangerous.

“Your Government needs to ensure that we have adequate funds to protect frontline emergency firefighting services.

"I therefore look forward to hearing that you will be joining me in taking this fight to the Minister [Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government] and making a strong case on behalf of our city.”

Speaking today, Caroline added: “The Tories need to put their money where their mouth is.

"These services are critical to the safety of Brighton and Hove’s residents. We must be proactively protective of them – there can be no shortcuts in saving lives.”