A PETITION launched by MP Jonathan Edwards opposing the downgrading of Ammanford fire station has gained over one thousand signatures in just eight days.

The national petition which Mr Edwards later launched through the Welsh Assembly’s Petitions Committee to oppose cuts to fire services budgets throughout Wales has now become the second-largest petition available on the Assembly website.

As the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority looks to deal with a £4million reduction in the budget it receives from county councils, Ammanford fire station has been earmarked for downgrading to an ‘on-call’ station which senior fire chiefs believe would save £500,000 over the next three years.

Mr Edwards has responded to the fire authority’s Draft Annual Improvement Plan consultation by calling on them to reject the downgrading of the local station – the only full-time station in the Amman and Towy valleys.

“I fundamentally believe that downgrading Ammanford fire station would lead to increase response times and that people’s level of safety will be diminished," he said.

"The authority must therefore reject any notion of downgrading and closing fire stations in our communities.

“The people of the Amman Valley are clearly on board with this campaign as my petition has received over 1,000 signatures in a little over a week.

"This in itself is a strong symbol of solidarity with the fire fighters who work in the station and make our communities a safer place in which to live and work.

“Anyone who hasn’t signed the petition can do so in many local shops throughout the Amman valley or by visiting my website www.jonathanedwards.org.uk”