THE PROSPECTIVE Labour MP for Thurrock has called on the government to reverse cuts to Grays Fire Service.

Polly Billington has been campaigning alongside Fire Authority member and Labour councillor Cathy Kent as well as the Fire Brigade Union to ask the government to reconsider cuts to local fire services.

Ms Billington has written a letter to Fire Minister, Penny Mordaunt, urging her to reconsider the cuts.

In the letter, Ms Billington addressed the number of COMAH (Control of major accident hazards) sites in Grays.

She wrote: “Grays has a high concentration of COMAH sites; more than a third of all the COMAH sites in Essex are located here.

“Thurrock is also home to significant pieces of national infrastructure including the Dartford Crossing and the Channel Tunnel rail link, and two ports: Tilbury and DP World.

“The last Risk Management Implementation Plan published by Essex Fire and Rescue Service recognised these risks and did not include any reference to plans to downgrade the Fire Station in Grays.

“We are concerned the plans are going ahead without proper consultation with the wider public and without national government assessing the importance of the national infrastructure and the risks that go with it.”

The prospective MP also made a visit to the station where she met the members of Red watch and viewed the equipment the station holds.

She said: “Everyone knows that firefighters do an extremely dangerous job, and here in Grays their job is made even harder because of the nature of the patch.

“Not many fire stations cover an area with so many high risk sites, including Vopak, Proctor and Gamble and the Esso Depot, as well as important pieces of national infrastructure like the Dartford Crossing, the Eurostar and two major ports.

“So it was really inspiring to meet them and listen to them explain the nature of the job and the way they work to protect us all.”