Police seek youths over fire

Police want to trace a group of young people seen near the scene of a large commercial garage fire in Russell Street, Liskeard.

The fire, which broke out on Monday night, is being treated as arson.  Nearly 200 people were evacuated from nearby properties over fears that gas cylinders and other potential hazardous cylinders could explode.

It took 45 firefighters from across South East Cornwall to get the fire under control.  Specialist vehicles from St Austell and Truro and the aerial ladder platform from Newquay were brought into assist them.

Police would also like to speak to anyone who noticed anything suspicious in the area before the fire began at about 8:50 p.m.

In another incident, one person is in hospital suffering from smoke inhalation after a house fire at Towednack near St Ives. Back-up crews were called in from Penzance.

Fears

The latest fires come in the wake of fears over the impact of planned cutbacks in Cornwall’s Fire & Rescue Service.  Cornwall Council has released figures showing it needs to shave £800,000 from their budget by 2014.

With a £21 million budget, Cornwall’s fire service is one of the cheapest in the country running 31 fire stations with nearly 750 staff.  Around 200 firefighters are full-time and  400 are retained or part-time workers.

Lance Kennedy, the councillor responsible for budgeting, said in an interview with BBC Radio Cornwall: “What I can promise you is absolutely no reduction in frontline services, either now or 4 years from this budget.”

Chief Fire Officer Des Tidbury said the service was already making savings. "Last June we paid £48,000 a month on overtime. We’ve got that down to £11,000 a month now. We’re going to reduce the number of senior managers. We can make efficiency savings without affecting the frontline.

"I’ve been brought in with my team to improve service. Believe me, that’s what we intend to do. And we’re on the up. In 2014, it won’t be as good, it’ll be better," he added.