Fire crew due to go in merger

A fire crew in the Black Country will be axed under revived merger plans prompted by government cutbacks, it emerged today.

Halesowen and Cradley Heath fire stations will close and a new single station built, West Midlands Fire Service says.

Plans to merge the stations were discussed two years ago but put on hold amid concerns from the public. But the service today admitted the plans had been revived and revised due to the uncertainty over government funding.

The plan would see only one crew at the station instead of the two originally proposed.

The service said there would not be any compulsory redundancies for firefighters, but other job losses could not be ruled out. Exact details have not yet been confirmed and consultations will now take place.