BOVINGDON and Radlett Fire Stations will close on Monday, despite waves of protest by local firefighters and their supporters.

However, in one final stand, a protest march will take place on Monday, starting at Garston Fire Station, St Albans Road, Watford at 10.30am.

The march will finish in Watford High Street, where a demonstration will take place.

The Vicar of Bovingdon, Rev Tim Marshall, will be among the speakers.

County councillors passed the Community Safety Plan in March, which included the closure of the two stations, and aimed to modernise the fire service in Hertfordshire and save up to £1 million over the next three years.

Led by the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), firefighters went on strike soon afterwards in an attempt to overturn the cuts and closures.

But the industrial dispute was extinguished last week when a compromise deal that reversed or changed many of the cuts was agreed.

However, the two retained (part-time) fire stations could not be saved.

This week FBU officials reopened the debate by publishing figures that suggest rural areas previously served by Bovingdon and Radlett will not be reached by firefighters in adequate time. Tony Smith, FBU Hertfordshire vice chairman said: "The county council's removal of Bovingdon and Radlett's fire engines gave us a unique opportunity to see what would happen to response times if station closures went ahead and the results are alarming.

"Apart from the communities directly hit in Radlett and Bovingdon, this has a knock on effect across the county.

"Borehamwood would be directly affected by Radlett's closure, as would the areas where Bovingdon would normally be in support.

"If councillors press ahead with these closures they will be playing Russian roulette with firefighter and public safety."

A county council representative said: "An agreement has been reached with the Fire Brigades Union, which includes the closure of Bovingdon and Radlett retained fire stations on Monday, July 31.

"We are disappointed that some people are seeking to reopen this debate and, although the information given about attendance times is inaccurate, we feel it would serve no purpose to discuss the matter further."