MERSEYSIDE could lose more than one in 10 of its firefighters in a “devastating” cost slashing bid.

Fire bosses are considering axing 92 of its frontline staff as they grapple with an £8.5m budget black hole.

Another 73 back office staff could also go and the authority could demand 4% more from council taxpayers.

Merseyside’s Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it feared cutting firefighters could put lives and its members at risk.

But the fire service said it could make the cuts “without affecting frontline services”. It also said posts would be lost through “natural wastage”, rather than forced redundancies.

The job losses and other cost saving measures will be discussed at a budget setting meeting of the Fire Authority on February 17.

Merseyside FBU Secretary Les Skarratts said: “We feel really let down by the service. The only way that they can look at budget issues – the first option is always firefighter jobs.

“It’s going to have devastating effects.

“We will be meeting with Fire Authority members to try to persuade them that cutting firefighter jobs is the last thing we should be looking at and not the first.”