An understaffed fire station which was set to close has been given a last minute reprieve.

Fire chiefs were resigned to the fact that Bosham fire station, near Chichester, was to close after West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service revealed only a handful of people were willing to man it.

The service undertook an urgent recruitment drive earlier this year which produced four men willing to work as retained firefighters - raising the crew numbers to the absolute minimum required.

West Sussex County Council announced it had allowed Bosham fire station the last-minute reprieve but warned that it could close permanently in the future if numbers drop again.

County councillor Lionel Barnard said: "We have stated all along that we were committed to keeping the station open if this was at all possible, so reflecting the views and wishes of the community.

"Although the high-profile recruitment drive only attracted a small number of applications, it has given us the option of keeping the station open, at least in the short term.

"With the best will in the world, a fire station cannot stay open without firefighters. We still need more - especially those who can provide cover in the daytime.

"There can be very few people in Bosham who were not aware of the situation, but we still didn't get a surge of applications. That is a worry for future recruitment.

"The crewing issue has to be resolved and sustainable over the long-term. We don't want to be faced with closure again in 12 - 18 months.

"If the fire engine continues to be crewed, the station will stay open. But we will have to continually monitor the situation and review the viability of keeping the station open."

"Even with the new recruits we aren't able to say with complete confidence that the fire engine will always be available."

Emergency cover for the Bosham area is and will be provided by the station at nearby Chichester.

The lack of willing applicants at the fire station has been blamed on the changing demographics in the area.

It is a requirement of retained firefighters that they work within a short distance of their fire station but more Bosham residents are increasingly working out of the area, including in Chichester and further afield.

It is a problem West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service have said could affect other retained fire stations in Sussex.

Anyone interested in becoming a retained firefighter at Bosham fire station is asked to call 01243 642134.

What do you think? What would persuade you to become a retained firefighter? Leave your comments below.