The fire union has objected to the idea of introducing CCTV

Councillor Eddie Clein, leader of the opposition on the county fire authority, believes crews are being put under unnecessary risk as they try to do their work.

The Merseyside branch of the Fire Brigades' Union (FBU) said it does not want cameras introduced, because it fears this would lead to an increase in the number of attacks.

However, Mr Clein said the system would provide better security for them and enable legal proceedings to be successful.

He told BBC Radio Merseyside: "Any recordings taken of criminal behaviour, theft, abuse, and attacks on firefighters can be co-ordinated between the fire service and police and prosecutions can be accrued from that.

'Retain impartiality'

"Hopefully it will be a deterrent and also a way forward of actually prosecuting people who want to go in for these idiotic kinds of games."

But the FBU's Les Skarratts said introducing the cameras would alienate crews from the communities they serve.

"We have to retain our impartiality with the communities we serve," he said.

"What we're saying is that we should be engaging in debates with social leaders, community leaders and youth leaders and even the police to understand why these people see firefighters as targets for attacks."