Union bosses fear cuts will be made to fire services across East Sussex.

The county's fire authority was meeting at the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Upperton Road, Eastbourne, today.

Members, made up of councillors from Brighton and Hove and East Sussex County Councils, a chief officer and chief executive, look set to allow consultation over modernisation of the service to go ahead.

Recommendations come largely from the controversial Bain report, widely condemned by the union.

The authority will be asked to look at how firefighters respond to automated fire systems, use of aerial ladder appliances and attendance at road accidents.

Consultation would take in views of staff and working partners of the service.

Fire Brigade Union members fear modernisation could be a blanket term for making cuts.