FULL-TIME firefighters in North Yorkshire could have their annual leave cut by up to three days in an attempt to improve manning levels on engines.

The option is one of three being considered by senior officers and the controlling fire and rescue authority as they try to meet so-called confidence levels recommended by the Home Office.

Minimum standards require brigades to turn out a given number of firefighters to specified categories of incidents on 75pc of occasions. In North Yorkshire 68.8pc was achieved in 1998-1999, 67.5pc in 1999-2000 and 54.3pc in the first six months of this year.

Chief fire officer Mr Eric Clark said problems were arising with manning of 24-hour watches at full-time stations because of leave, training, sickness and other absences.

Investigations had shown that, apart from annual leave reductions, little could be done to make a major difference in confidence levels. Mr Clark said, however, that £64,000 at present unused because of vacancies could be released to help plan recruitment and training and the number of staff seconded from firefighting to support duties could be reduced.

The brigade is to negotiate with the Fire Brigades Union on annual leave reductions, but no comment was available yesterday from the county branch of the union.

Mr Clark said retained, or part-time, firefighters who answered about 25pc of emergency calls had achieved confidence levels of more than 80pc over the last three years.