The councillor behind a last ditch attempt to safeguard a life-saving service on the Lizard Peninsula has spoken out ahead of a public meeting to be held this Friday.

Pam Lyne, Cornwall county councillor for the Lizard area, has called an emergency meeting between fire chiefs, the ambulance service and councillors, in a desperate bid stop the co-responder scheme - which provides essential emergency medical care - being shelved.

Until now the scheme has seen fire fighters based at Helston, Mullion and St Keverne provide an emergency response in life-threatening medical situations. Their in-depth knowledge of the areas has meant they were able to attend the scene within minutes, to provide initial emergency care before the ambulance arrived.

However, the scheme, which has helped save hundreds of lives since it first began, is now under threat after Cornwall county councillors recommended not to include funding for it in their budget for the coming financial year.

Under the persuasion of Mrs Lyne, the council agreed to defer the final decision on funding until a meeting on January 25, when a decision must be taken over whether to continue to put aside the funding - thought to cost in the region of £30,000 a year - or scrap it from the budget. Unless alternative funding could be found, this would ultimately result in the loss of the service.

Mrs Lyne told the Packet: "We're concerned that if something isn't done and we can't find some money from somewhere to help out, the council are going to scrap it. It's a very successful scheme for the years it's been running and it seems very sad that people's lives could be put at risk just because we can't find the money."

The aim of the meeting - at Mawgan Village Hall this Friday, at 7.30pm - is to demonstrate the strength of support behind the scheme from members of the public and put together evidence of this that could persuade the rest of the county councillors to rethink the funding option. The meeting will also give the chance to put together a back-up plan and discuss possibilities of finding the funds from alternative sources.

Representatives from all the parish councils in the area have been invited to attend and show their support, and while space will be limited, if members of the public wanted to attend Mrs Lyne said she wouldn't stop them from coming in.

"I think if the ambulance and fire people can see how much it's in demand by the public it might help."

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