Hopes of a reprieve for the condemned Radlett Fire Station were quashed this week with the news the county council has put the building up for sale.

Residents formed a fierce campaign to keep the Watling Street station open in 2005 and Save Our Fire and Rescue (SOFAR) gained 7,000 signatures on a petition to have it reopened in 2007.

However the closure went ahead in 2006 as part of a council cost-cutting exercise and news of the sale ends any attempts to get the 100-year-old station up and running again.

Aldenham West councillor Simon Patnick said: “I will be very sad to see it go. I was always hopeful we would be able to secure the reopening of the station to serve the residents of Radlett and Aldenham.

“It seems the county council wanted to get rid of it pretty quickly without taking into account the views of the residents and perhaps even some of the county councillors.”

A Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said Hertsmere Borough Council was informed and the sale would probably be dealt with through the planning committee depending on who buys it.

She added: “The county council has been through a big programme of moving services to more central places. Fire stations would obviously need to be scattered around but it was decided Radlett Fire Station would need to close as part of this.”