Cuts endanger lives

REGARDLESS of which party emerged victorious from the General Election, everyone knew because of the precarious economic situation there would have to be some serious cloth-cutting right across the board when it came to public services.

But what happens when that "cloth-cutting" ends up possibly endangering people's lives?

Because, in my opinion, proposals to shut Findon fire station are ultimately putting local people in danger.

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There aren't enough column inches to do justice to the work our county fire brigade, both full and part-time, do 365 days a year '“ saving lives, whilst at certain times putting their own lives at risk.

It's part and parcel of their jobs and I wouldn't like to put a figure on how many lives the firefighters at Findon have saved over the years.

But that doesn't cut any ice within the corridors of power at County Hall, where clearly saving money is more important than saving lives.

Funny, that, coming from the same organisation that revealed its elected councillors claimed 1.3million of our council taxes, in expenses and allowances last year.

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Perhaps, before they think about shutting fire stations to save money, they should look at the wider issue, including what some councillors do for their money.

Are some of them as cost-effective as keeping a fire station open?

And finally, another one of those questions I know at least one Herald reader will have the answer to.

As a very young lad, in the early 1970s, I seem to recall on a trip to Worthing Pier, aside from paying 2p to see the Monkey Orchestra perform in the amusement arcade, I can remember seeing a large model railway layout in the Southern Pavilion, now the Pier nightclub.

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Was this just a one-off event or was it a regular attraction?

And as regards the Monkeys, are they still playing the same tune and is it still 2p?

Ian Hart's comment is published in the Herald series every Thursday

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