DESPITE the recent drowning tragedy of a young man in a local pond and widespread flash flooding in the last few weeks, St Helens has been stripped of its rescue dinghy after Merseyside Fire Service 'shipped' it out to Birkenhead.

Last used by firefighters to pluck a lorry driver from his flooded cab during the recent torrential downpours, it will now be based on the Wirral as part of the fire service's 'cost cutting measures'.

However, one veteran firefighter is dubious of the long-term effects these measures may have for townsfolk.

Jim Stevenson, who joined the service in 1977, said he has seen a drastic reduction of resources at Parr Stocks fire station and reckons morale is at an all time low. He said: "When I started we had 25 fire engines here, but as from this week, we only have two. Staff levels have gone from 23 to 12 on the watch - it's very frustrating.

"If we hadn't had the dinghy during the floods, that lorry driver would have had to wait hours before we could have got to him."

But a spokesman from the fire service was keen to reassure townsfolk: "As a service we have a host of specialised appliances. It has been decided that instead of having them scattered across the region, we will put them in two places - Kirkdale in Liverpool and in Birkenhead. We are not losing them and there are no plans on winding down Parr Stocks."

Despite the move, he stressed that from their central location they would still be sent out immediately to any emergency in St Helens.