LANCASHIRE fire fighters will strike today as part of an ongoing dispute over pensions.

1,100 members of the county’s Fire Brigade Union will walk out from 6.30 to 11pm.

Whilst FBU secretary Steve Harman said that they had been left with ‘no choice’ but to go on strike Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said that he thought striking on bonfire weekend was ‘unwarranted.’

Lancashire’s chief Fire Officer Chris Kenny said that residents should be ‘reassured’ that emergency cover will be maintained and that the majority of fire engines would be kept in use.

The union also plans to strike from 6pm to 8pm on November 4.

FBU members want the government to renegotiate its decision to increase firefighters’ retirement age from 55 to 60 and changes to pensions.

Mr Harman said: “We don’t want to strike but it has got to the point where we have tried everything else and it’s a last resort.

“There is cover that we have worked with the fire service to provide cover because we don’t want the strike to endanger anyone’s safety.”

Chief Fire Officer Chris Kenny said:“The public can be reassured that the service plans to keep the majority of fire engines in Lancashire operational during the dispute period.

“We would urge all members of the public to be aware that for minor fires in particular, there may be a longer wait for a fire engine.”

Mr Birtwistle said: ““I think that doing this on bonfire night is unwarranted.”

Public advice can be found at: www.takeextracare.com.