A petition signed by 5,720 people was presented to Barry Abrahams, IW Council Cabinet member responsible for Environmental Health at a demonstration at Shanklin Fire Station this afternoon (Tuesday August 31).

Gathering to register their alarm at the proposed closure of the station, a large crowd of local residents waved placards and jeered. Drivers hooted their horns in support as ex retained fire fighter Steve Marsh presented the petition against the closure, packed in five large cardboard boxes.

Shanklin’s Town Crier announced the presentation and David Pugh, Leader of IW Council looked on as Steve Marsh made an impassioned speech to Barry Abrahams.

“Why are you spending £350,000 per year to produce a document that says closing Shanklin Fire Station will endanger fire cover in the evenings and weekends – it says it here in black and white,” said Steve brandishing the document produced in a recent consultancy.

“I knew I was going to be on a losing wicket,” said Cllr Abrahams after the presentation. “I recognise the strength of feeling – but this isn’t something that the Isle of Wight faces on its own.”

Vice Chairman of the IW Council and member for Shanklin Central, David Williams said: “There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes at County Hall. I can understand people thinking as they do – there’s the fear factor. It comes down to money in the end, but the fight goes on.”

“I’m with the people of Shanklin,” said Mayor of Shanklin, Denise Larner. “We’ve got to think of the safety aspects.

“The town council was in agreement to close the station, but not until the Bay Area station was built – when that’s built everyone will feel safe.”

The building of the Bay Area station has now been shelved for the foreseeable future.

“In the meantime we’re down to one pump in Ventnor, and one pump in Sandown, due to a lack of manpower, and they haven’t recruited for Shanklin to get anyone else into the station,” said Steve Marsh who was a firefighter at Shanklin for many years.

“Until such time as the Bay Area station is built the Bay area isn’t safe. It’s legally and morally wrong what the service have done so far and the council shouldn’t have voted on it.”