THE region's new police and crime commissioner is being challenged to spell out his intentions for the fire service amid fears of a "hostile takeover".

New Government legislation is being brought forward which would allow PCCs to start running fire authorities.

Ministers want to bring the so-called 'blue light services' as close together as possible in the first radical upheaval for decades.

The Worcester News revealed in March how Councillor Derek Prodger, the current fire authority chairman, has heavily criticised the suggestion and issued a "hands off" warning over it.

Now Councillor Richard Udall, Labour's fire service spokesman in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, has asked new West Mercia PCC John Campion to outline his view.

"The police do a wonderful job, but fighting fires is not their role," he said.

"It needs to be left to the dedicated men and women of the fire service, it needs to be managed by firefighters not police officers.

"It also needs fire authority members with knowledge and experience in the fire service to run it.

"It's not a job for a police and crime commissioner, who clearly already has many other issues to concentrate upon."

He wants Mr Campion, who was elected to the £75,000-a-year role last month, to oppose the legislation, calling it "foolish and unnecessary".

"I have enormous respect for Mr Campion, I know he wants to do a good job," he said.

"I just don’t believe he is the best person to run the fire service, he has much more important things to do."

Mr Campion said: "I have always felt our police and fire services can achieve the best results working in collaboration with each other.

"Sharing expertise and resources helps provide the best possible service and value for the public.

"We have some good examples of this already in West Mercia, and I look forward to building on these in the future."

The Home Office started a consultation over it last year, saying it wanted to encourage "efficiency and effectiveness" by placing a legal duty on emergency services to work together.

Ministers say this could include some PCCs taking over fire and rescue authorities, and that would mean creating a single organisation containing police and fire staff.

Policing minister Mike Penning, a former firefighter himself, has already called commissioners "uniquely placed to improve the way emergency services are delivered".

The Fire Brigades Union has pledged to fight the proposal while the Local Government Association says there is no "pressing need" for it.