AGEING fire engines at Silverdale, Carnforth and Lancaster will not be replaced because of a disappointing funding settlement for Lancashire Fire and Rescue service.

Engines at the three stations are among 25 of Lancashire Fire and Rescue's fleet of vehicles which have reached the Government's recommended fire engine retirement age of 12 years.

But Government funding for the Lancashire's firefighters in the year ahead has increased by just 2.7 per cent compared with an average among other brigades of 5 per cent.

Lancashire chief officer Peter Holland criticised the way the Government worked out its fire funding because it rewards brigades which attend a lot of fires, but fails to give credit to brigades like his, which run successful fire prevention programmes that cut down on call-outs.

John Taylor, spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, described the funding settlement as "disappointing."

He said: "What matters is the number of calls you attend, not the number of incidents you prevent - so the most hazardous brigades get more money.

"We are a brigade which performs well, but we would rather not have to attend fires if we can prevent them happening in the first place."

At £117,000 each, 25 new engines will cost nearly £3 million to replace so the ageing engines will have to remain in service for another two to three years.

Mr Taylor stressed that there was no danger to the public and no diminution of services.

"These are ageing F-registration vehicles," he said, "But we have spares for them and they are in tiptop condition.

What we are saying is that we need to be thinking about replacing them - it would be irresponsible of us if we did not."

- Cumbria Fire and Rescue service has been awarded an increase of 4.1 per cent in its funding from the Government.

The county's top fireman, chief officer Michael Elliot, said the increase was broadly in line with expectations.

But Mr Elliot supported his colleagues in Lancashire and branded the way the Government calculates fire service funding as "ridiculous".

Mr Elliot stressed that there were no problems with ageing fire engines in Cumbria.