The number of firefighters in Merseyside has fallen since the Grenfell Tower disaster, according to Home Office figures - though the Fire Service and local unions have questioned the numbers.
Merseyside is one of more than 20 areas across England to see the number of firefighters or control room staff drop since the tragic fire at the London tower block five years ago, which claimed the lives of 72 people.
There was a combined total of 951 full-time firefighters, on-call firefighters and control staff at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) at the end of March 2021, the latest available Home Office figures show. That was down by 51 (5.1%) from 1,002 four years earlier, which was the last workforce count before the Grenfell fire on June 14, 2017.
