Sixty Shropshire firefighters, officers and support staff who are due to leave the county’s fire and rescue service over the next four years may not be replaced because of severe budget cuts.

And community safety work – which has proved highly successful in helping to drive down the number of fires – is also likely to be drastically reduced as the brigade tackles a forecast £3 million funding reduction.

But so far no stations are under threat of closure under what will be a much “leaner” service, though chief fire officer, Paul Raymond, is warning that the situation could change.

Service bosses are drawing up budget plans based on an expected 25 per cent cut in public spending by the Government.

However if the Government announces next month in its spending review that it is looking for a 30 per cent or even 35 per cent reduction in grant funding, then the brigade will be forced into draconian action.

It will have no option but to look at station closures or ask local communities to take over their running and funding.

The service currently has an annual budget of £21 million.

Of this about £8 million is Government grant and the remaining £13 million is met through a precept on Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council.

Over the next four years the service expects to lose £3 million in grants but it will be unable to precept for more money because of a freeze on council tax levies.

If the staff who are due to leave are not replaced, savings of just over £2 million could be found.

The brigade is already under funded – but still officially recognised as one of the best performing in Britain – and since 2005/06 has been making efficiency savings of £400,000 a year.

And at the beginning of this year a pay and recruitment freeze, and even stricter spending guidelines, were introduced for the service’s 550 firefighters and 50 support staff.

It has earmarking about £200,000 annually for community safety work – such as the fitting and testing of smoke alarms – but this figure is likely to be reduced to about £50,000, with visits to only the most vulnerable people.

“We will continue to do our utmost but sadly the predicted cuts will have an effect on our fire and accident prevent work across the area,” said Mr Raymond.

He is appealing to the public to take extra care.

Mr Raymond said that by 2014/15 the brigade would be delivering services on a budget equivalent to that of two years ago.

Service chiefs are in ongoing talks with staff, seeking cost-cutting ideas, from them, and will consult widely with the public before any final budget decisions are taken.