Firefighters to strike on Bonfire Night

Thousands of London firefighters are to strike on Bonfire Night in an escalating row over new contracts.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said thousands of its members will walk out from 10am on November 5 to 9am on November 7, covering one of the fire service's busiest periods.

The news followed an eight-hour stoppage on Saturday and plans for another eight-hour strike next Monday, November 1, with the union claiming that firefighters were being threatened with the sack if they didn't agree to new shift patterns.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "We do not want to take this action but we have no choice. The alternative is to allow London's firefighters to become doormats for their employers to walk on."

Contingency plans were put into place to deal with Saturday's strike, with contract staff manning 27 fire engines instead of the usual 150 in place across the capital. The brigade said the replacement crews responded to 49 incidents during the strike including several fires in residential buildings, all of which were successfully dealt with.

A war of words erupted between union leaders and the brigade over allegations of intimidation and violence against crews standing in for the strikers. Mr Wrack said the accusations were "totally unfounded", insisting the strike was "orderly, disciplined and solid".