Warwickshire County Council wants to preserve the status quo. Its service has expanded to take in Coventry and the council.

Staffordshire Ambulance Service has already said it does not support a merger, claiming to have the best ambulance response figures.

There are also plans to create regional police forces and fire controls.

The number of ambulance trusts in England could be cut by two-thirds under government proposals.

The new trust - provisionally named West Central - would cover 5,766 square miles.

PROPOSED MERGER Hereford and Worcester Staffordshire Coventry and Warwickshire West Midlands (and Shropshire)

Councillors say it would cover nearly ten times the geographical size of the London Ambulance Service (LAS), but have only �124m annual funding compared to London's �192m.

The council said LAS received 54.5% more funding last year than the combined four Midlands trusts for 60% less activity.

It said the proposed West Midlands regional service would be twice the geographical area and double the population of any of the merged East Anglia and East Midlands trusts.

Alan Farnell, county council leader, said: "Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance Service is first rate and is one of the highest performing trusts in the region with a three-star rating.

"It's the sheer scale of the area the new service would have to cover that is worrying."

Jerry Roodhouse, Liberal Democrat group leader, said: "We would urge local people to get involved and make their voices heard."