FIREFIGHTERS could be delayed in leaving a York fire station on 999 calls this winter – while they scrape ice off their engine's windows, a union leader claims.

Steve Howley said delays in building a new bay for fire engines relocated to Huntington fire station from the city centre meant another appliance would have to stay out in the elements overnight.

Mr Howley, North Yorkshire brigade secretary for the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said he feared the windows on the engine, used by retained firefighters, will get iced up when frost appears in the coming winter.

"Like every other vehicle, fire engines cannot be driven until there is clear visibility in all directions, and the crews will have to scrape off all the ice before it can leave the station," he said.

"I am also concerned that, if York is hit by a real freeze this winter like the one experienced in December 2010, the hosepipes might even freeze up but the crews won't know if this has happened until they reach the fire."

He said fire chiefs had been planning to build a new bay but work still had not started.

Meanwhile, he claimed the heating system at a new £4 million city centre fire station in Kent Street was so ineffective that some rooms were becoming too cold for crews to work in and breached health and safety guidelines, despite the union constantly taking the matter up with management.

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that building works at Huntington fire station had been delayed but said they were due to start in eight weeks.

"Fire service vehicles are capable of operating in low temperatures but despite this, the service will be providing additional protection against frost and cold weather," said a spokeswoman.

"We would like to stress that the service’s emergency response to the public will not be affected."

She added that Kent Street station had a bespoke, energy efficient heating system utilising solar water heating and a combined heat and power unit.

"Since staff raised the issues about the heating, the service has been monitoring and investigating this with our professional partners and expect to have a solution very soon," she said.

"In the meantime, liaison with staff continues and recent low temperatures have been recorded when the heating was off. Temporary heating will continue to be provided."