Boris Johnson forces through Woolwich and Downham fire station closures

The plans - which would save £28.8m and cut 552 jobs - had been rejected by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

But Boris Johnson has ordered the cuts to go ahead anyway, saying he wants the plans implemented by September 16.

In his decision notice, the mayor said the money could not be found elsewhere and insisted that "frontline savings can be made without affecting public safety".

And, in a letter to fire authority chairman James Celverly, he wrote: "Further delays to the implementation of the Commissioner’s proposals will increase the likelihood of compulsory redundancies."

Fire Brigades Union executive member for London Ian Leahair said: "The cuts are dangerous and wrong. This is devastating news for Londoners, with lives across the capital being put at risk by the mayor’s reckless cuts.

"Johnson has simply ignored the evidence, and his cuts will mean slower response times for 4 million Londoners.

"It’s also an affront to democracy. Johnson has not listened to Londoners, his own fire authority or the elected representatives on the London Assembly."

Downham ward councillor Cllr Duwayne Brooks said: "This is a sad day for Downham and its high proportion of vulnerable residents, who, as a result of the London Mayor's actions, will find their lives in more danger in the event of emergency due to increased response times.

"Johnson has directly ignored evidence and chosen to force through these cuts in a ward that is in the top 20 per cent of the most deprived areas in England. I cannot condemn this decision more."

Fellow Downham representative Councillor Julia Fletcher said: "We're extremely disappointed that Boris has failed to listen to the outcome of the consultation and fire authority.

"We still hope to continue putting pressure on him over this."

Following a consultation process, the original plans were changed to remove the closure of News Cross and Clapham stations.