Letter to the editor: I was at the Co-Op on Downham Way when I saw firefighters handing out leaflets asking people to come to a meeting to help save their station and jobs.

I couldn’t believe it.

Am I dreaming?

These brave men and women risk their lives to save us every day, for pittance pay.

Raised wages? No, not in England, they get told about cutbacks.

The Army, firefighters, police, doctors and nurses are England’s foundation and one by one they are slowly being cut away.

If you had any trouble, where would you go if there are no police or stations?

If you are a single mum like myself and if you have no car and need A&E what do you do?

Call an ambulance?

How many people will be calling, how many ambulances are there to go around?

If A&E at Lewisham Hospital is gone, Queen Mary’s in Sidcup is a long way on a bus with a baby at night.

It’s the same to get to the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough.

England’s men, women and children are paying with their lives, money and homes for mistakes the government has made.

The government has cut back on sick benefit, will tax your spare bedroom and cut the police force and fire stations.

England is now the Titanic and we will sink.

What’s next?

Cutting teachers or counting the bricks in your house and taxing them?

I’m ashamed to be English.

Well how can the Queen watch her country sink?

It never should have got this bad.

The rich get richer, poor get poorer.

We should let our firefighters know we are behind them.

They shouldn’t have to ask.

We need these men and women, now they need us.

Elainea Gibson, address supplied