The Northamptonshire branch of the FBU fears the loss of 12 posts could damage the service.

But a Northamptonshire Fire Service spokesman stressed that the money saved by cutting the jobs would be used for fire safety and prevention campaigns.

He said there would be no compulsory redundancies - posts would be cut by not replacing staff who left.

Gary Mitchell, of Northamptonshire FBU, said he was concerned that the job cuts could affect the safety of local people.

Money saved

He said he was also concerned about Northamptonshire Fire Service plans to move a hydraulic platform, a long portable ladder used in rescues, from the town centre to Moulton Fire Station, on the edge of the town.

"If you work on the third or fourth floor of offices in the centre of Northampton you want a fire service that can get to you and get you out as soon as possible," he said.

But Councillor James Ashton, Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member responsible for the fire service, said: "Money saved (from cutting staff numbers) would be used to fund community fire prevention."

On the issue of the hydraulic platform, Mr Ashton said research had shown that over the last three years it has never been used to save people from fires.