COST-CUTTING measures that have seen look-out wardens scrapped from MOD firing ranges have turned the facilities into "death traps", a union has claimed.

Unite regional officer Bob Middleton believes that the wardens’ removal is a serious threat to public safety and could lead to a family being "blown to smithereens" if they unwittingly ended up on a firing range whilst out walking.

He has written to the Government and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) urging them to review the decision to remove the wardens.

More than 80 sites across the UK are affected by the wardens’ removal – a measure introduced by support services company Landmarc and approved by Government - including firing ranges at Wathgill in Richmond, Feldom ranges at Catterick and sites in Ripon, Northumberland and Cumbria.

In a letter to DIO, Mr Middleton highlighted the dangers using a recent incident in Hythe, Kent, where he said a group of Gurkha soldiers walked along a firing range next to one that was being used, putting themselves in a potentially fatal position.

However, a spokesman for DIO told The Northern Echo this account was not accurate, saying that firing on the range had not started for the day so the soldiers were in no danger at that time.

Mr Middleton has accused the Government of putting cost-cutting before safety, adding: “We wrote to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on this issue, but received no direct reply.

“Yet, a family with young children out walking the family labrador could take a wrong turn and be blown to smithereens because of the Government’s privatisation agenda.

“Cost-cutting can’t come before public safety.

“We urge ministers to order a rethink on what is happening – the public demands no less.”

Mr Middleton added that the warden rangers have been withdrawn from monitoring the firing ranges and have been renamed ‘training area operatives’ doing a variety of other jobs.

The Northern Echo contacted the Ministry of Defence for a comment and was referred to a spokesman for DIO who said: “The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Landmarc work together to provide a safe place for the military to train.

“When a range is in use it is handed over to the unit training, overseen by a qualified and experienced Range Conducting Officer who is a member of the unit and responsible for the safe conduct of that exercise.”

A Landmarc spokesman said: "Whilst providing a safe place to train is the responsibility of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), we work together with DIO to ensure the military training estates are safe, sustainable and effective.

"Landmarc staff will always respond in support of DIO’s training safety staff to ensure the safety of our employees, military users and the general public.”