Firefighters across England to strike for 24 hours over Tory pension 'outrage'

Firefighters across England are to walk out on strike, it has been announced.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said the industrial action is over a long-running dispute about pensions.

Fire crews shall down hoses for 24-hours "in the coming weeks" said an FBU spokesman.

One point of dispute between the government and firefighters is the fitness tests that crew members must take.

The FBU fears it means staff who fail the test could be stripped of the pension rights or forced to retire early from the service.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: "Firefighters are outraged at the behaviour of the Westminster fire minister Penny Mordaunt and her boss Eric Pickles, who misled Parliament by falsely claiming that they had introduced a statutory guarantee that a firefighter failing a fitness test through no fault of their own would receive a full and unreduced pension.

"After investigation, it is now clear beyond doubt that no fire service employer agrees that any such guarantee exists."

Previous protests by firefighters have included a "liar, liar pants on fire" campaign that saw specially designed pants delivered to the headquarters of the Conservative party.