ECCLESTON Fire Station should be manned full time after crews were recalled eight times over the past month, a St Helens Councillor has said.

Earlier this year, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority cut wholetime fire crews between 8.30pm to 8.30am from Eccleston and five other stations across Merseyside, with retained crewing overnight on a 30-minute recall.

On Thursday, St Helens station manager Ian Mullen updated St Helens Council’s safer communities overview and scrutiny panel on the service’s recent activity.

He revealed that over the past month, crews have been recalled eight times to Eccleston Fire Station due to the increased demand caused by the recent heatwave.

Cllr John Fulham, chairman of the panel, said: “This is no criticism of the fire service but if Eccleston has gone part time and it’s been called back eight times already, that suggests there’s a need for it to be staffed round the clock.

“But you have to deliver what you can afford to deliver in light of the fact Government has taken so many resources off you.”

Cllr Fulham, Labour councillor for Moss Bank, said the level cuts to the fire service is putting people’s lives at risk.

He said: “This is why it’s on as a draft agenda item for scrutiny going forward, because it’s putting the public safety of public servants at risk and putting the public’s safety at risk.

“This is in no way a criticism of you at the fire service.

“You operate in an environment within the parameters given to you in light of £20 million of cuts since 2010.

“A third reduction in firefighters since 2010, about a third of fire engines since 2010.

“It doesn’t matter if there are two or ten fire engines at Eccleston Fire Station if people aren’t there.

“There’s a limited resource, there’s a slower response – that puts people’s safety at risk.”