Three west London fire engines have been axed as part of a money saving scheme for London Fire Brigade .

On Wednesday (March 17) London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority approved the Fire Brigade's budget for 2016/17, which they say will close a budget gap of £11.5m.

The decision will mean the permanent removal of 13 fire engines across London , including one fire engine each at Willesden , Chelsea and Ealing fire stations.

The fire engines have been out of service for the past two and a half years, and the removal will mean that the savings would increase the number of staff available to crew the remaining fire engines.

The approved budget, which was given the backing of Mayor of London, Boris Johnson , also includes investment in fire prevention equipment for the homes of the most vulnerable, such as sprinklers, telecare systems and flame retardant bedding.

London Fire Brigade also say that payment will be made into the Local Government Pension Scheme in order reduce future budget pressures on the Brigade.

On March 1, the Mayor issued a direction to the authority instructing it to adopt the budget option put forward by the London Fire Commissioner.

At the Authority meetingon Wednesday, that budget was agreed.

'Public don't want it'

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: "The 13 fire engines have been out of service for over two and a half years but we have continued to achieve our response time targets of on average six minutes for a first fire engine and eight minutes for a second to attend incidents."

The news comes as it was found that London residents largely didn't agree with the fire engine cuts.

Speaking earlier this week, Chelsea’s Fire Brigade Union rep Stephen Stephenson, said: “It’s sad. The public don’t want it, the local authority as a whole don’t want it but Boris wants it and he’s being aided by the commissioner.

“We know we are stretched but I don’t think some of these politicians realise what it means - they do not have to make the extra journey times.

"We have to make do and amend but the challenges we face rescuing people will be greater.”