Hereford and Worcester Fire Service is to appeal against being capped over its respective council tax rises.

Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority unanimously backed an appeal against its cap, which effectively shaves £2.3 million - or £7 off an average Band D bill - from its £26.7 million budget when it met last week.

Chairman councillor Richard Udall - who has already said the effects of capping on the service would be "catastrophic" has also said he would resign rather than implement the kind of cuts and redundancies necessary.

The Advertiser reported recently that the service's worst case scenario has retained stations across the two counties losing appliances or even shutting because of the cap.

It also expects the cap to cost 13% of its retained firefighters their jobs.

Frontline cover could be saved for just 2p a day, says the service - the same sum that the Government wants off the average council tax bills in the town and surrounds to cap the Hereford and Worcester Fire Service.

Tenbury Fire Station, in Worcester Road, Burford, is crewed by 16 on-call retained fire fighters and its two appliances cover a 33-mile radius.

Station officer David James said this week: "A letter has been sent to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister and we are waiting to see his reply.

"We are hopeful that he will understand why we are asking for this money."