AFTER joining a protest in Haworth against a raft of cuts to hit the village during the past year, I am calling on Kris Hopkins to take urgent action.

The protest, organised by local gardener Steve Thorpe, was supported by people across the area.

The protest came about because people can't take ongoing cuts to the community:

We keep hearing words like 'expansion' and 'diversification' but they mean nothing if the infrastructure isn't in place.

Haworth has already lost most of the services at the children's centre and now the fire station is set to close.

I would like to pay tribute to local efforts to diversify the fire station as a community safety hub. I'm surprised the authorities have not viewed that idea as a great community asset.

You would hope cost-effective, community-led ideas like this would have worked to help keep Haworth and the Worth Valley safe. However, the police plus search and rescue services have faced cuts themselves and the council and government are giving them no support to implement this.

I have written to MP Kris Hopkins to demand he address the issue. I've written that many people depend on services like those at Treetops and, of course, the local fire station. The prosperity and safety of the district relies on the enterprising nature of people like Steve. However, they can't help when money is withdrawn. The cuts have to stop.

I was motivated to stand for The Green Party for the same reasons that people joined the protest. I have a young family, a career and lots of pressures on my time. But sometimes you just have to stand up for what's important in your community.

Steve was so worried about local services that he organised this entire protest himself, and I'm determined to give it my full support.

ROS BROWN

The Green Party Keighley constituency parliamentary candidate