Coastguard stations to shut down
BRITAIN’S full-time Coastguard stations are to be axed from 18 to just three – with another five working only during daylight – under plans unveiled yesterday.
Shipping Minister Mike Penning said the three 24-hour centres, at Aberdeen, Dover and the Southampton-Portsmouth area, would be capable of managing maritime incidents “wherever and whenever they occur”, with Dover concentrating on shipping in the Channel.
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The five daylight stations would be at Swansea, Falmouth, Humber and at either Belfast or Liverpool and Stornoway or Shetland.
Launching a 14-week consultation, he said the Government wanted to strengthen support provided to volunteers in the Coastguard Rescue Service and to “improve present levels of service to the public while reducing costs”.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport union, said: “Nothing is safe from the austerity axe including emergency, life-saving services like the Coastguards and search and rescue.”