FIREFIGHTERS will stage a sixth strike tonight following yesterday’s mass walk-out.

Members of the Fire Brigades’ Union will leave their posts between 6pm and 10pm in an ongoing dispute with government over pensions.

Plans to raise retirement age to 60 and increase pension contributions to 14 per cent are at the centre of the disagreement.

The union said firefighters would stand their ground until the the goverment agreed to resume negotiations.

Firefighters in Swindon went on strike for four hours last night. Despite despite the industrial action on-call crews at Wiltshire Fire and Rescue attended a small house fire in Purton and an incident in Swindon, which ended up being a false alarm.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union General Secretary, said: “It’s now been almost two months since the government has been willing to meet for negotiations despite several invitations from us.

“Until they do and until they start to actually resolve the dispute, we’ll keep up the pressure for the sake of public safety and our members’ pensions.

“In a week when the full details of a £7,600 pay rise for MPs’ — which will also increase their pensions — emerged, firefighters’ anger at the governments unworkable, unaffordable and unfair proposals will be even greater.

“No firefighter wants to strike, but we cannot allow the government’s ludicrous proposals — and outright hypocrisy — to stand. We’ll keep on fighting until the government sees sense and comes back to negotiations.”