A parish council may take responsibility for its fire service.

Haworth councillors are examining the move amid fears the village’s fire station could shut.

The retained station is earmarked for closure as part of cuts in fire provision across West Yorkshire, which would also see Keighley lose one of its two appliances. Tentative plans are being looked at for the Haworth station to be transferred to the parish council and a ‘first responder’-type fire and rescue vehicle, such as a Land Rover, be established there.

But chairman John Huxley warned that the idea was at an early stage and still had to be debated by the full Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council, at its next meeting on November 26.

“I’m going to put forward a proposition that we should have a public meeting to discuss the idea,” he said.

“We have written to the fire and rescue authority with our proposals.

“We are into budget setting time so if we are going to do something we need to think about it now, and the public consultation over the cuts closes on November 30.

“But we still have to look at issues including costings. If the village gives us a mandate to do that, then that’s fine and we will.”

Mr Huxley, who is in his sixth year as chairman of the parish council, said he personally and many people in the village were opposed to the station closure.

“People are seriously worried,” he added. “During my time as chairman there’s never been a single issue that has come to the surface like this.”