Warwickshire’s MPs have written to the Government’s Attorney General, Dominic Grieve MP, to seek assurances over a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute four firefighters for gross negligence and manslaughter following a fire at a warehouse in Atherstone-on-Stour in 2007.

Following a lengthy investigation by the Police and the Health and Safety Executive, the CPS has decided to charge three other firefighters for their role in the handling of the fire, in addition to one it had already announced it would charge.

Commenting on the matter, Marcus Jones, the MP for Nuneaton, said: “The decision by the CPS has caused a great deal of concern and I fear that it will have unintended consequences in the future for how our emergency services react to incidents.

“It would be extremely worrying if the outcome of this case led to a situation where emergency service personnel were no longer willing or able to go into flooded rivers or burning buildings to save lives.

“Our letter has stressed that we are not questioning the independent judgement made by the CPS, but we are seeking assurances that due to the potential consequences of the decision, that the decision to prosecute was taken at the very highest levels of the CPS.”