MORE than 100 people in the Colne Valley village of Marsden turned out to hear why fire chiefs want to close their fire station.

The arguments from the fire service centre on budgets. Fire chiefs say they are under pressure from the Government to cut costs and that means cutting stations.

Throughout the process to identify over and under provision across the region, the protection of frontline services has to be at the top of the agenda.

But as the people of Marsden and other outlying communities will rightly be quick to point out, reassuring the public that change will leave them adequately covered has to be another top priority.

Marsden residents were told quite simply that West Yorkshire Fire Service were planning to shut the village station.

It seems that the fire service view is that the village has had generous provision for some time which can no longer be afforded.

What villagers need now is to be told in detail what cover will be given if the station does indeed close along with reassurances about response times from neighbouring retained stations.