THE Fire Brigades Union has hit out at the Government for imposing cuts which have left Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service facing the threat of bankruptcy.

It is anticipated the Government will reduce funding by half in the next few years, which amounts to 20 per cent of the service’s budget.

Failure to find a solution raises the possibility of large scale frontline cuts, including job losses and the closure of fire stations.

Among solutions being considered is a merger with Dorset Fire and Rescue Service to avoid frontline cuts.

Monday saw the end of a three-month consultation on a number of options, of which the merger was one.

In its response Wiltshire FBU has said it is annoyed the proposals seem geared towards a merger, while nothing is being said about providing proper funding.

Union bosses have said they want assurances that if a merger goes ahead there will be no job losses, that pensions will remain untouched and there will be no reduction in the number of fire stations or appliances.

As well as criticising the Government, local councils have also been slammed for introducing tax freezes which unions say will damage the service.

Wiltshire secretary Brent Thorley said: “The only reason this consultation is taking place is because of massive funding cuts in Wiltshire Fire And Rescue Service.

“Although the majority of these cuts have been driven by central government, decisions taken by local politicians have made the situation worse.

“For purely political reasons, and against the advice of firefighters they have implementedcouncil tax freezes which have put emergency cover at risk.

“The purpose of this consultation isn’t about improving emergency cover or community safety. It’s about the survival of the fire and rescue service itself.”

The FBU has been in a long-running dispute with the Government over changes to pensions and retirement age. South west regional secretary Trevor French has said too many cuts will put people’s lives at risk.

He said: “Our service has suffered dangerous cuts to funding in the last decade. Nationally, funding to the fire and rescue service has been cut by more than a fifth during this Parliament and further cuts are planned for 2015-16.

“These cuts will cost lives, destroy homes and businesses, drive up insurance premiums and damage the environment.”

Although the consultation finished on Monday, Wiltshire Council was given until yesterday to respond due to the timing of their meetings.

After a two-hour debate, they voted not to support any of the options on the consultation until more details are available.