Firefighters today warned it would take up to 40 minutes to respond to a terror attack on the Labour Party conference.

Brighton and Hove is preparing a £2 million counter-terror operation when Prime Minister Tony Blair arrives in September.

But brigade unions say the city's fire-fighting force is not adequately equipped to deal with a large-scale attack.

FBU branch spokesman Jim Parrott said: "They just haven't got the resources."

He said the Army, police and health authorities had not yet carried out any co-ordinated training, adding: "We have not been on a joint exercise. If something big happens our response won't be very joined up."

All police leave has been cancelled in Brighton from September 26 for Operation Otter, which is likely to be the biggest anti-terror operation the city has witnessed.

Last year, in the immediate aftermath of the war in Iraq, the FBU complained firefighters only had rubber gloves, buckets and detergent to deal with a major strike.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue has since been given a cash injection from Whitehall for extra equipment.

But Mr Parrott said only two fire engines in the city carried specialist decontamination units required to deal with chemical strikes.

He said: "A normal appliance carries two chemical suits so if ten people needed treating there would be no problem. But any more than that and they would have to wait for back-up to arrive from Eastbourne which could take 30 or 40 minutes.

"We are talking worst-case scenarios but that is what we must be prepared for. If there was an anthrax strike, for instance, we would not have the personnel to cope."

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire Brigade said: "In respect of the Labour conference, we are working with other agencies involved and have contingency plans in place.

"The Government is making available £188 million to provide fire and rescue services nationally with the equipment they need."

The plans to safeguard the party conference, codenamed Operation Otter, will feature an island around The Grand hotel and the Brighton Centre.

Anyone trying to access the island will be vetted and intelligence agents will keep close tabs on suspects.