Firefighters announce fresh strike

Firefighters in England and Wales are to stage a fresh strike (PA)

Firefighters in England and Wales are to stage a fresh strike in their bitter row with the Government over pensions.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union will walk out for four hours from 10am on November 13 - their fourth round of strikes in recent weeks.

The union also announced that it will ballot its members for other forms of industrial action in an escalation of the dispute.

Firemen and women walked out yesterday and last Friday in their ongoing row over what will happen to firefighters who fail fitness tests as their retirement age is moved from 55 to 60.

The union fears there will be job losses if firefighters are not offered other work in the service.

PA