A FORMER fire chief who supported cuts to stations, engines and firefighter numbers has been appointed to the witness panel of the Grenfell Tower inquiry.

The decision to hire ex-chief fire officer (CFO) Steve McGuirk as the first of two days of hearings began yesterday has sparked fury from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Mr McGuirk was in a top role when the service was dismantled meaning it was less able to provide a fast, fully crewed response to fires and other incidents, the union said.