Firefighters in Cambridgeshire are to hold industrial action next week.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have announced a 24-hour strike starting at 9am on Tuesday, December 9, over a dispute about pensions.

Plans are being put in place to organise fire cover across the county. Previously, operational members of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and on-call firefighters have provided cover.

Deputy chief fire officer Chris Strickland said: “We will be working hard during the coming days to ensure our resilience arrangements are in place to provide a reasonable level of emergency cover across the county, as we have with all previous periods of industrial action.

“We urge all residents and businesses to take extra care during this 24-hour strike period, whether it be in the home, at work or on the road. Ensure you have checked you have a smoke alarm on every floor of your property and test them all by pressing the ‘test’ button on the alarm itself.”

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “Firefighters in England are reluctantly calling further strike action today as a direct result of the Westminster government’s failure to listen and negotiate over pensions.

“Firefighters are asking the Westminster government to immediately open genuine negotiations to resolve this dispute. They should also hold a House of Commons debate to fully scrutinise the legislation and there should be a parliamentary vote on the regulations.

“We need to be clear. We are not going to give up or go away. Firefighters will fight for however long it takes to secure a fair pensions deal – this dispute will not end as long as the regulations remain unchanged.”

INFORMATION: For further information on the strike and further safety advice, log onto www.cambsfire.gov.uk.