PLANS have been drawn up to slash the number of fire engines covering Waltham Forest, it has been claimed.

The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) says a leaked management document has revealed proposals to get rid of one engine each at Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford stations.

Leyton and Wanstead MP John Cryer said such a move, which would cut the number of engines in his constituency in half, would be "reckless in the extreme".

The London Fire Brigade told the Guardian no decisions had been made and that it was looking at a number of options to save money.

The organisation estimates it must save around £64million in the next two years, although it will not be told its confirmed budget by the government until December.

The leaked document reportedly contains proposals to close 17 stations across London and the downsizing of four - including the three in Waltham Forest.

The FBU’s regional secretary for London, Paul Embery, said: “These proposals present the biggest threat to the London Fire Brigade since the days of the Luftwaffe and would lead to the decimation of fire cover in London.

"The stations under threat of closure have stood proudly for generations, protecting local residents from bombs, fire and terrorism, yet Boris Johnson is about to hammer a ‘For Sale’ sign on to their front doors.

“Such a huge cut cannot be made without there being an impact on public safety, and we call on Londoners to join with us in defending our fire service."

The FBU estimates the proposals will lead to 600 job losses across the capital.

Mr Cryer said: “In my own constituency 50 per cent of the fire cover will be lost.

"We’re talking about an area which includes a lot of high-density housing and a very large number of businesses.

“This is reckless in the extreme and it’s down to one thing – government cuts by ministers who do not give a damn about public safety.”

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: “Like virtually every other public service, the Brigade is facing the need to make savings.

"There is a target for these savings but the full details will not be known until at least December, when the Government announces its grant to the Brigade.

“We expect to be able to maintain our current target response times. No decisions...have yet been taken. Before they are, there will be a full public consultation.”

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat government says it needs to cut public spending to reduce the national deficit left by the "reckless" policies of the previous Labour government.