IT’S no surprise that 10 fire stations in West Yorkshire will shut.

Stations in Elland, Brighouse, Batley and Dewsbury will close as part of the strategy to cope with an £18m cut in Government funding over the next five years.

The Brighouse and Elland stations will be replaced by a new one at Rastrick to serve both towns, the north end of Huddersfield and the M62. The concern is that when those engines are out it will be a long way for cover to be drafted in. A new station will also be built between Batley and Dewsbury.

Tough decisions are being made and these seem to be sensible plans in the light of the cuts that have to be implemented.

Don’t forget that pioneering fire prevention work in this county has dramatically reduced the number of fires and saved countless lives, so the risk is already reduced.