A PETITION containing more than 7,000 signatures, demanding the immediate reopening of Radlett fire station, has been brushed away by a terse 32 word response from the man who closed it.

The petition, which was signed by almost every adult resident in Radlett, as well as every business, headteacher, pub, restaurant and church, was hand-delivered to Hertfordshire County Council but was dismissed within 24 hours.

Stephen Oakes-Monger, who diligently knocked on every door in the village to compile the petition, described the curt response as "absolutely disgusting".

He said: "They brushed 7,000 signatories aside with a 32 word sentence and hasn't bothered to answer any of our questions."

Radlett fire station was shut in October last year with county chiefs arguing it was not cost effective to keep them open and that the closures would not put safety at risk.

This was despite giving the station a temporary reprieve to allow residents to find the £100,000 needed to keep the station open.

Campaigners from Save Radlett Fire Station say that since the closure of the station, statistics show up to a quarter of engines called to fires in Radlett had missed their ten minute attendance target since the station was closed.

Sofar said figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that in the first four months after the closure of Radlett fire station, the first attending engine missed its ten-minute target 47 times out of 186 incidents.

The figures were discounted by the county council.