CAMPAIGNERS who are fighting to restore an axed Pendle fire crew claim they have uncovered figures which show bosses' decision was flawed.

Lancashire Combined Fire Authority figures obtained by protesters under Freedom of Information Legislation show that Barnoldswick's second retained pump was used for only 60 hours a year.

But the firefighters' own records put the figure at more than 151 hours.

Bosses made the decision to withdraw the retained crew because they said there was not enough work for them.

Now campaigners believe the news of the apparent discrepancy between bosses and firefighters' records is enough to force Lancashire Fire Authority bosses into a re-think on the decision to axe the pump.

However Lancashire fire chief Peter Holland disputed the 151-hour figure provided to campaigners by firefighters.

Talks between the council and the fire authority collapsed last month after Pendle tried to persuade fire bosses to give the engine a stay of execution until the High Court decides whether to hear the case.

Last week, the fire engine was taken away and members of the retained fire crew were either made redundant or re-deployed to other stations.

Coun David Whipp, who has led the protests, said: "There's a massive difference between the time the appliance was actually used and the fire service's official record.

"The fire authority figures are so flawed they're unbelievable."

Mr Holland said the campaigners were not "comparing like with like". He said: "That figure of 60 hours is fully sustainable and it is a figure fully correct for that fire engine, based on the time they spend at incidents.

"We can only conclude that the figures provided by Coun Whipp are the times from leaving home to going back home, including time at the station and incidents where they were deployed then radioed on the way to say they weren't needed."