CAMPAIGNERS are celebrating after a fire authority reversed a decision to close three North-East fire stations.

In an unexpected move, member of the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority agreed not to close Sunderland Central in Millfield and the Wallsend and Gosforth stations.

The authority had planned to axe the stations in a bid to save almost £9m.

A petition signed by 30,000 people in Sunderland calling for their fire station to remain open, was handed to the authority before its meeting yesterday (Monday, February 16).

In March last year, the authority announced that the station, alongside those in Wallsend and Gosforth, had been handed a stay of execution and would not close until June 2017.

To ensure the stations stay open the authority will now increase the amount of money it gets from council tax payers by 1.99 per cent.

Authority chairman Cllr Tom Wright said the organisation still faced significant financial challenges as it had lost a significant proportion of its funding.

He said: “The impact and size of the cuts will continue to be monitored to ensure the long term stability of the organisation. The fire authority’s number one priority is, and will always be, the safety of our staff and the public.

“We will continue to lobby against the financial reductions to prevent any future cuts to this excellent service.”

Russ King, secretary of the Tyne and Wear branch of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "It's most welcome news. We are delighted with the decision - it came as a total shock.

"However, cuts are still being made across the fire service on Tyne and Wear - 131 jobs will still be going and six fire-fighting appliances will be taken away by 2016-17."