MPs across the region have been asked to fight to stop budget cuts at Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority which could lead to 195 staff losing their jobs.

Hereford MP Paul Keetch, today appealed for Worcester Labour MP Michael Foster, Mid-Worcestershire Conservative MP Peter Luff and West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer (Tory) to pull together.

It followed meetings the Liberal Democrat had had with the authority, Herefordshire Council and West Mercia Police.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is planning to impose a £2m budget cut after accusing the authority of an excessive council tax rise.

The brigade's 29.4 per cent increase was the highest in the country and was last month labelled "unacceptable and unnecessary" by Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford.

However, Carl Horsburgh, chairman of the county Fire Brigade Union, has already told the Evening News that if the Government goes ahead with the £2m cuts by capping council tax rises, then lives could be lost.

Councillor Richard Udall, chairman of the authority, has also said 180 jobs would be axed in the Two Counties if the capping went ahead - 93 full-time firefighters, 47 retained firefighters, and 40 frontline support staff.

Part of the reason for the high bill was to cover the cost of "modernisation", which has sparked disputes across the country.

The Government says this means looking at changing shift patterns - for example fewer emergency calls are received overnight so they could look at cutting nightshift staffing.

Overtime ban

It could also lead to an end to the ban on planned overtime and paramedic training for firefighters.

However, fire crews say modernisation is a bid to make them a cheap ambulance service and is a euphemism for job losses.