Despite a fierce battle by firefighters, the axe finally fell on Addington's fire service, slashing 999 cover in the area.

Fire bosses forged ahead with their plans to shelve five of London's appliances on Thursday blasting the hopes of Cuts Cost Lives' campaigners.

The fire authority consulted Londoners and offered them a choice: lose the fire engines and 120 fire officers, or pay more tax.

Although more than 10,000 residents in the Croydon area voted to pay £4 or £5 extra to retain the service, the authority's number-crunchers have done the sums and say the price is too high.

But fire brigade union representative Peter Clarke claimed the authority consulted Croydon people and then disregarded their views.

"We were very hopeful the decision would go our way as more than 10,000 signed support for higher taxes, but unfortunately the authority did not listen."

Croydon MP Geraint Davies echoed Mr Clarke's disappointment and said he is urging the Government to ease the pressure on services caused by ever-expanding pension costs: "I'm pressing the Government to devise a scheme which separates the funding of pensions from the funding of direct-line services as, clearly, no-one wants to see any more reductions in fire cover."

Deputy leader of the conservative group, Councillor Andrew Pelling, said: "Ultimately the blame must lie with the Government."

A spokesman for the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority said in order to keep the engines the fire authority would have to have increased the council's contribution by 20 per cent. He said: "If the Government thinks the precept we levy on councils is too high they can ask us to reduce it. In addition, the Government asked the authority to make efficiency savings of two per cent which equals £6million."

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