Emergency workers are losing jobs

More than 1,000 fewer firefighters and police are protecting the West Midlands compared with three years ago, new figures have revealed.

Around five uniformed officers a month are leaving West Midlands Fire Service and not being replaced because of funding cuts – around 120 since March 2009. West

Midlands Police has also lost more than 800 officers and specials in the same time as it copes with its own £126 million cuts. Police officers with 30 years service had been forced to retire.

Staffordshire Police has lost 118 of the 2,877 police officers, community support officers and specials it had in 2009.

But Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has seen a rise of 18 uniformed staff in the same period.

The West Midlands Fire Service is facing £30m of cuts over four years.

Councillor John Edwards, chairman of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, said: "We have not recruited any firefighters for almost three years and we lose five uniformed members of staff each month."

Chris Downes, of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "Uniformed personnel are feeling the pinch. Maintenance of appliances on the run is incredibly difficult now."

Staffordshire Police deputy chief constable Douglas Paxton said: "Presented with the challenge of saving £38m by April 2015 and with 86 per cent of our budget spent on staff costs, it is unavoidable that the organisation has to operate with fewer people.

"Over the last 12 months we have been working to re-structure the force and transform services while protecting service delivery.

"We are well on our way to making these savings and have already reduced significantly the number of people in the organisation."