West Midlands' Chief Fire Officer Vij Randeniya said there were "gaps in evidence" in Warwickshire's consultation document, which was distributed to residents last year.

He said the proposals, which included closing Kenilworth fire station as well as six others, would inevitably mean his firefighters would have to attend incidents in Warwickshire, making it difficult for them to cope with their own area.

Mr Randeniya added: "There is no agreement for West Midlands to provide cover, despite Warwickshire claiming there was."

He also criticised the consultation document for suggesting there would be fewer fires if firefighters spent more time checking homes and businesses for fire risks.

Mr Randeniya's comments were published in a document obtained under Freedom of Information laws and revealed by Warwick and Leamington MP James Plaskitt.

The Labour MP said: "The verdict on Warwickshire County Council's plans given by a respected neighbouring fire chief is damning.

"Why are Warwickshire's Conservative leaders still sitting on this issue, refusing to say what will happen next? We were promised decisions next month. There is no sign of that happening.

"They should come clean, accept that they got this all wrong, abandon the cuts plan and give all of the reassurance we need about future fire cover."

Conservative MP for Rugby and Kenilworth Jeremy Wright said: "I have been very vocal in what I think about the public consultation document and I entirely agree with Mr Randiniya's views.

"I don't think the document was well-drafted and I don't think it gave people the chance to say what they wanted to say."

But Mr Wright thinks the council was right to postpone its decision on the proposals.

He said: "It's a good thing, if what's going on is them taking more time to consider the responses.

"The more they look at the evidence and the more they look at the arguments, the more likely they are to be persuaded that Kenilworth fire station is needed. I am still optimistic that they will come to the right conclusion."

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