MP CALLS FOR RE-THINK AS REGIONAL FIRE CONTROL CENTRE PLANS TAKE ANOTHER HIT AFTER MERSEYSIDE BACKS OUT

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has called on Cumbria County Council to follow Merseyside and withdraw from plans to set up a regional fire control centre.

A project to set up nine regional control centres for fire and rescue services in England was a "complete failure" and wasted £469m, according to a recent report by MPs.

The public accounts committee said the Firecontrol scheme had not achieved any of its objectives and that eight of the centres were empty "white elephants".

Now Merseyside has pulled out the joint control centre idea and a plan to combine police, fire and ambulance control room for Merseyside could happen instead under proposals put forward by the Police

Tim said: "The project has been called a 'white elephant' and it really is. For the county council to move the control centre out of Cumbria, down to Warrington, could mean serious risks to public safety - how can we expect someone in Warrington to know the difference between Staveley-in-Westmorland and Staveley-in-Cartmel when someone calls in distress? I will continue to work with the Fire Brigades' Union to oppose these plans."