Firefighters to march on Holyrood in protest over "dangerous cuts"

Hundreds of firefighters will protest outside Holyrood this morning against plans they fear will lead to job cuts and the closure of some stations.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which has organised the demo, also claims some fire engines are unusable because of a lack of crew.

But the allegations have angered fire service bosses who insist the claims are ''wholly inaccurate' and that the union is causing unnecessary public concern.

The Scottish Government says fire service funding has increased by £21.7 million this year.

The FBU's Scottish Secretary, Denise Christie, said: “Each day across Scotland, dozens of fire engines cannot respond to emergencies because there are simply not enough firefighters to crew them.

“We have lost over 700 front line firefighters in Scotland since 2013 and response times to emergencies have been lengthening in recent years as a result.

“This is not the level of service that we expect or deserve and the politicians know this.

"It’s why there is a broad political consensus that these cuts are bad for public safety."

New Scottish Labour Leader, Richard Leonard is due to address the firefighters when they gather outside Holyrood.