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Staffing levels at a fire service control room have reached critically unsafe levels in the past month following a merger, a union claims.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said staffing at Dorset and Wiltshire has been cut since the services combined in April.

There are now four call handlers on duty compared to six before the merger.

The service said staffing was at the "right level to provide and strong service to our communities".

'Safety net'

Area manager for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue, Ian Jeary, said: "We provide an excellent and safe service to our communities."

He added that with the new telephone system and the partnership arrangement with neighbouring services had led to improved response times.

"Before we had the network fire services partnership in place it could take over a minute for a call to be taken.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in the service we are giving our public and that is something we are really proud of," added Mr Jeary.

FBU representative, Kate Scott works in the Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Control Centre.

She said: "Even when you're marginally busier when you're dealing with more than one call at a time it gets very, very busy.

"You end up with radio operators taking calls... supervisors unable to monitor calls so you don't have that safety net of someone listening in and that's extremely important to public safety."

She added that during busy times low staffing caused delays where an ambulance was not called as quickly as it could have been.

"During August there were nine occasions when we could not reach the agreed level of four operators and there were three on duty and that is a safety critical issue," said Ms Scott.

Although the control room only deals with fire calls, when medical help is needed, staff alert the ambulance service as part of their role.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue is part of the Networked Fire Control Partnership, along with Devon and Somerset, and Hampshire.

The service said there were 13 fully qualified operators at any one time across the three services. Out of this number, four would be from the newly merged service.

Prior to the merger, Wiltshire and Dorset each had three operators.

The FBU says although calls can be transferred out to their fire control partners, it still causes "unacceptable delays".