UNIONS in Bolton have written to councillors and MPs in the borough calling on them to oppose fire service “privatisation”.

Bolton Trades Union Council — made up of delegates from several union branches across the private and public sectors — has unanimously backed a motion to keep fire services public.

The unions claim a letter from Fire Minister Brandon Lewis to the Regulatory Reform Committee had sought views on new laws to “enable fire and rescue authorities in England to contract out their full range of services”, an idea they branded “grotesque”.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles recently said he intended to halt the move, adding the government would make no attempt to privatise the fire service.

Dave Milne, Bolton Unison representative, said: “Fire services exist to protect the safety of each and every one of us, we need to maintain vital services like these in public hands.”

Martin McMulkin, Bolton TUC Secretary, added: “It is vital that we campaign to oppose the transfer of public services such as local fire brigades to the private companies whose primary motive at the end of the day is not public safety but private profit.”