GOVERNMENT funding of £100,000 has been cut from schemes to reduce the number of people killed in fires.

Officials at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service say they are disappointed by the decision and have warned the money will have to be found from elsewhere.

The Government announced it was allocating £11.4m to community fire safety nationally over the next two years.

In North Yorkshire, the fire service will receive £77,395 - a cut of £100,000 in the amount itcurrently receives to support community safety and arson prevention projects.

The grant pays for a number of initiatives, including:

* A child fire-setter network, which is run by 20 volunteers from the service. They work with children and young people aged from three to 18 who play with or start fires.

* A young firefighters scheme, in which 12 young people spend one evening a week in a fire station to learn basic firefighting skills.

* Community safety work, such as home fire risk assessments and the fitting of smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.

* A Local Intervention Fire Education (Life) project - a week-long course for 12 to 18-year-olds that addresses anti-social behaviour. Youngsters are taught basic firefighting skills, first aid and team work. The finale is a passing out ceremony attended by senior officers and parents.

Corporate service director Ian Young said: "This is a disappointing outcome for this authority, but it bears no relation to the level of the authority's work in these areas, which will continue.

"The reduction in grant will need to be made up through savings or through the council tax, since the authority is committed to reducing the number of deaths and injuries from fire and other emergencies through its prevention activities."

The fire service is struggling to meet targets on the number of accidental fire injuries, but is well ahead of its target on the number of fire deaths. There has only been once accidental fire death since April last year, compared with a target of six.

More information on fire safety issues, including the fitting of smoke alarms, is available by calling (01609) 788545.