Everyone knows of the magnificent work firefighters do when they tackle serious blazes such as the fire at the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton three years ago.

But these days, firemen and women are responsible for many other tasks, ranging from the trivial to the terrible.

They are prepared to help pet owners by rescuing cats stuck in trees.

They will also be responsible for dealing with the carnage should there be a terrorist attack in Sussex on the lines of those in America three months ago.

Firefighters have to be there in other emergencies, such as last year's floods and they undertake preventative work to stop disasters occurring in the first place.

The Government expects firefighters to take on all these extra roles without providing the extra money to pay for them.

Sussex firefighters should deliver a clear message to Whitehall and Westminster that lives could be lost unless cash is based on a more sophisticated formula than the present one of paying for the number of fires attended.