Plans to control both police and fire services under one organisation have been branded a "power grab".

Liberal Democrat county councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst said he was concerned about Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd taking on responsibility for setting budgets and priorities.

Currently the county council manages the service, but Mr Lloyd said the proposal would bring benefits to both services and public safety.

SEE ALSO: Hertfordshire fire service could be taken over by the police commissioner 

The commissioner said the plans would improve "effectiveness and efficiency" – but party leaders say they have concerns about what the move would mean locally.

Cllr Giles-Medhurst said: "David Lloyd has virtually completed his asset-stripping of the police - and here in Watford he expects to close our separate police station.

"He has seen the loss of more than three hundred police posts across the county since 2012 and closing numerous police station front desks, now he wants to do the same asset stripping to our fire service.

"The yearly revenue savings of up to £4m that he suggests, which are most likely to comprise staff losses, are likely to mean less fire fighters at a time when the need for both services has never been clearer.

"From offering a free home to voluntary organisations, offering and fitting free smoke alarms, keeping a look-out for vulnerable people in our communities and promoting the 'Life' programme for young people, firefighters have worked hard over recent years to become trusted friends in the community, work that would be destroyed.

"We need the services of a dedicated fire service, as we have seen recently with the terror attacks and now the fire in Grenfell Tower.

"Asset stripping them will mean they might not be there when we need them the most.

"And what will happen to the inter-service coordinated cooperation by which different fire services develop different specialisms to ensure we can deal with anything.

"This hostile take-over has to be stopped and the Lib Deems at County Hall will resist it every step of the way."

The commissioner this week released his plan for taking over the fire service, justifying the idea with massive efficiency savings including 'one-off' capital receipts of up to £15 million.