Rye Comment

AS ICKLESHAM residents prepare to add their voices to growing concerns over plans to downgrade the Ridge fire station when they meet on Saturday, many will be angered and astonished at the big salary that fire chief Des Prichard takes home - higher in fact than the Prime Minister.

There is a huge disparity here between what he earns and what our local firefighters, who regularly risk their lives, take home.

The fire service, faced with having to make big cuts, claim that the proposal to downgrade the fire station is purely operational - we see this as a smokescreen.

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The bottom line is that whatever austerity measure we, as a nation, need to adopt, cuts to front line services which protect people’s lives are simply not acceptable.

If cuts need to be made within the fire service then they should be looking at cutting big salaries rather than reducing fire cover by downgrading stations.

HATS off to Rye Bonfire Society for providing us with another unforgettable night.

Nowhere is the world does bonfire better than Sussex and Rye is up there with the best.

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We have never seen the town looking so busy and it was great to see Rye College students and other local groups and organisations playing such a colourful part.

We we were also very impressed with the way the emergency services and police handled an event of this scale.

It was good natured and overall trouble-free.