THE fire service is pushing ahead with plans to axe jobs in the district.

Four fire-fighters’ posts will go at Loughton fire station and the shifts at Waltham Abbey will be re-arranged, with the aim of cutting back on staff.

The changes could see Essex County Fire and Rescue Service selling off a row of fire-fighers’ homes next to the station in Sewardstone Road, although this has not yet been finalised.

Mick Rodgers, who represents Essex on the Fire Brigades Union, said the plans for the Waltham Abbey station, which would mean more fire-fighters manning the station 24 hours a day, were a “slap in the face.”

He added: “(Fire-fighters) have already changed, become a lot more flexible and offered more hours of work.”

Chief fire officer David Johnson said of the plans: “It may mean fewer fire-fighters, but it will allow us to deliver on our commitment to our staff and ensure that we do not compromise on the level of protection we deliver to the public.”