Cuts to fire services which were branded “unsafe” have been approved.

West Sussex County Council yesterday rubberstamped a decision to cut £1.6 million from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service’s budget – resulting in the loss of four fire engines and 18 firefighters.

The second fire engines at Midhurst, Petworth, and Storrington are being cut as well as the third fire engine at Crawley Lionel Barnard, cabinet member for residents’ services, which has responsibility for fire and rescue in the county, said cuts would create a fire service “fit for the 21st Century.”

But the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has expressed fears for the safety of firefighters and the wider public.

Francis Bishop, West Sussex FBU branch secretary, said: “This is unquestionably a cut. It is detrimental for the future safety of firefighters and is therefore detrimental to the safety of the people of West Sussex.

“It is going to be worse for people in Horsham, Storrington, Petworth and Midhurst.

“All of the retained firefighters in Crawley will be made compulsory redundant and there will be further redundancies resulting in the loss of 18 posts.”

The cuts will also mean moving one fire engine from a temporary base at Horsham to a permanent location in Littlehampton.

West Sussex deputy chief fire officer, Lee Neale, said: “Our proposals are based on extensive data and the professional judgment of a wide range of fire service staff.

“We have done a huge amount to target prevention work to those most at risk and want to continue to work even more closely with the communities we serve to reduce the likelihood of emergencies from occurring in the first place.

“We continuously monitor our performance and will ensure we deliver services that meet the needs of people across West Sussex.”

Coun Barnard added: “We have listened to everyone who contacted us with views about the proposals “The number of emergency calls the fire service receives has fallen, and the types of incident crews respond to has changed. We need to adapt our service to reflect this.

“This isn’t just about money. If we didn’t have to save a penny these changes would still be needed because this is about improving our service and building a fire service that is fit for the 21st Century.”

A council spokesman said they will formally review the impact of the changes one year after their implementation.