SOCIAL engineering means that most women would rather be pop stars than firefighters, according to Hereford and Worcester's Chief Fire Officer.

David O'Dwyer said it was difficult to meet Government targets for female recruitment because firefighting was not as attractive to women as other professions.

He said Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority had done well to recruit as many women as it had done, despite not meeting this year's recruitment targets.

"Working for the fire brigade is a manual job," he said.

"A lot of the time in the police force you don't require physical effort, but you do in the fire brigade.

"If you look at the TV, everyone wants to be a pop star. We're up against social engineering. We've got a big selling job to do."

Speaking at the authority meeting at County Hall yesterday, Mr O'Dwyer said turnover within the brigade was low because the brigade itself was relatively small.

But he said the increased levels of retirement that were anticipated in future years would provide an opportunity to take on more women.

The target set for the proportion of women in the brigade by April 2009, is 15 per cent. The current level is just 2.9 per cent.

Councillor Richard Udall, vice-chairman of the authority, said it was time to destroy the myth that the fire service wasn't a place for women.

"We've made sure stations are suitable for women," he said. "Any woman who is considering joining the brigade will have no problem. We welcome you and invite you."

Coun Liz Eyre said female employment cost a lot of money, both in capital and revenue.

She said the authority should write to the Government to ask for better funding to help recruitment.

But Coun Philip Mould said any recruitment drive should not be at the expense of white male firefighters, who had been the core of the brigade for many years.

"They have served us very well over the past century and could well serve us for the next century too," he said.