PARTY allegiances have been thrown aside as politicians of all colours rally to protect Canvey’s under-threat firefighters.

Castle Point’s Tory MP Rebecca Harris has criticised cost-saving proposals to replace full-time cover at the island’s Long Road fire station with a retained crew.

Meanwhile, Canvey Island Independent Party has launched a petition opposing the proposals.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service plans to replace the station’s 25 firefighters with a part-time crew as part of a £10million cost-cutting programme across the county.

However, critics fear Canvey’s isolated geography is no place for retained firefighters, who have regular jobs and take about five minutes longer to reach the scene of an incident.

Mrs Harris said: “I am very unhappy about any proposal to downgrade the service on Canvey.

“We are going to fight hard to make sure we keep a full-time service on the island.

“When you think of the sensitivity on Canvey about it being an island with difficult access, then it’s clear what the concerns of the residents are.”

Mrs Harris plans to meet with firefighters at the station tomorrow and will also meet with the county’s Chief Fire Officer David Johnson at Westminster next week.

Bernard Braine, a former Castle Point Conservative MP, fought hard for get a permanent fire station on the island in the 1980s and by opposing the plans, Mrs Harris is breaking ranks with the coalition Government’s cuts programme.

She said: “I am very pleased the fire service intend to achieve cuts without making job losses, but what we don’t want is any extra risk to the local community by the cuts.”

Canvey Island Independent Party is hoping residents will get behind the petition, which will be distributed to Canvey shops and garages for people to sign.

Dave Blackwell, the party’s leader, worries retained firefighters would be unable to cope on Canvey.

He said: “We had seven grass fires in one morning last summer. Won’t their employers get annoyed if they spend the entire summer trying to put them out?”

Fire chiefs plan to hold a public meeting with islanders on Monday, January 31.

This meeting will take place before a final decision on the changes is made by a full meeting of Essex Fire Authority on February 9.