THE fight to save Watford's fire service intensified this week, with Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill wading into the row over proposed cuts.

Plans revealed to the Watford Observer in July revealed a major cash crisis in the fire service. Proposals put forward by Hertfordshire County Council could see a a reduction in Watford's fire cover after 6pm.

At present, there are two appliances for 24 hours per day. But current plans would see this reduced to one in the evenings.

Mayor Thornhill said this week that the proposals were unacceptable for a town of Watford's size and said Watford was more at risk from fires at night.

She has put forward a motion to be considered at next Wednesday's council meeting, asking councillors to agree a meeting between herself and all group leaders on Watford Borough Council with members of Hertfordshire County Council, the authority proposing the cuts.

She said: "We have to make our case that we feel the cuts are unjustified. If that means sitting down and going through all the paper work, they will have to do that.

"To take a pump from us when we have high rise flats is just bizarre. My job is to fight for Watford."

Mayor Thornhill said statistics show that there are more calls to attend fires after 6pm and urged Hertfordshire County Council to reconsider these proposals and retain the present level of fire cover for Watford.