A Bradford MP has revealed the possible location of a new fire station if bases in Idle and Shipley are closed under plans which union bosses have said might “put lives at risk”.

David Ward (Lib Dem, Bradford East) held talks yesterday with West Yorkshire Chief Fire Officer Simon Pilling and Fire Brigade Union (FBU) representatives after fears for public safety were raised if the service presses ahead with closures.

Under the plans, revealed by the Telegraph & Argus last month, Shipley and Idle stations will close and their crews merged at a new station, which could be built near Canal Road, Bradford.

Mr Ward, who met Mr Pilling with Bradford Councillor Jeanette Sunderland , said: “The new station would be at the junction of Queen’s Road, Canal Road and Bolton Lane.”

However, Coun Sunderland, who is leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Bradford Council and an Idle and Thackley ward councillor, said its location might change and would be taken into consideration as part of the consultation over the fire service proposals.

The fire service plans have been drawn up following what the FBU has described as “savage” Government cuts of about £8 million to its budget.

Haworth ’s station – which is manned by a retained crew – is also earmarked for closure and there will also be a reduction in the number of appliances from two to one at the Fairweather Green and Odsal bases in Bradford.

Mr Ward said: “We certainly understand the position of both the FBU and the fire service. The real essence of this is the dispute about the speed with which vehicles can get to incidents.

“There are a smaller number of incidents for firefighters to deal with and that is a really good thing but, at the end of the day, if it is your house or your car on fire, you would have to ask whether Canal Road would be simply too risky in terms of travel times. That is the dispute, about the adequacy of the service.”