THE Government yesterday axed the Liverpool coastguard station after a seven-month review.

The decision sparked outrage on Merseyside and led to claims that ministers were “inviting disaster”.

But Transport Secretary Philip Hammond admitted that any further review of the emergency network would not consider “issues of public safety”.

Throughout this year ministers have been told that the cutbacks make no economic sense, will lose vital local expertise and endanger the seafaring public on and offshore.

Mr Hammond responded: “Neighbouring stations are paired, allowing them to provide back-up to one another when needed. Today’s announcement means that one station in each pair is retained.”

Labour, and some clearly shaken Liberal Democrats, warned that it was driven entirely by spending cuts.

Mr Hammond announced that Britain’s Coastguards centres will be reduced from 18 to eight, with only three remaining open 24 hours a day.

He reprieved the Holyhead station and confirmed that Belfast would cover the Irish Sea, Liverpool Bay and waters around southern Scotland.

That decision ignored compelling evidence from coastguards in Crosby that centralisation of co-ordination will add a life-threatening eight minutes to the rapid response to emergencies at sea.

The national Maritime Operations Centre will be at Southampton/Portsmouth with other satellite stations at Falmouth, Holyhead, Milford Haven, Belfast, Aberdeen, Humber, and Stornoway.

Mr Hammond added: “This has been a genuine consultation that has seen a high level of engagement and many well thought out responses.

“It is clear from those responses that there is a huge public and political admiration for the work of our coastguards, a clear consensus that change and modernisation is necessary, but also some specific concerns about the original proposals.”