BRITAIN: The Blair government may order troops to cross picket lines if the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) escalates the strike action which has left the UK without regular fire cover for a second night. However, 10 Downing Street has denied reports it is considering banning the first of three planned eight-day strikes scheduled by the FBU for next Friday.
Three people died in fire-related incidents during the first 24 hours of the current two-day strike scheduled to end at 6 p.m. tonight. In an emergency statement to MPs, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, again insisted the strike was "wrong and unjustified" and attacked FBU leaders for failing to reach agreement on how striking firefighters would respond to a major incident or disaster. The strike is taking place against the backdrop of massively increased security around government buildings and other prestige targets, following renewed warnings that the UK is a likely target for an al-Qaeda terrorist attack.
Mr Prescott also called for "exemplary sentencing" by the courts after a massive increase in the number of hoax calls made immediately after the firefighters walked out of their stations. The situation was particularly acute in Strathclyde where at least 49 hoax calls were made before midnight on Wednesday.
Last night, striking firefighters in central Manchester rang 999 as a warehouse full of fireworks exploded in flames directly opposite their station. The FBU members went to the scene and helped one man to escape and then, seemingly, satisfied that only property was at risk, left it to soldiers using four of the ageing Green Goddess appliances to battle the blaze over several hours.
Troops and members of the PSNI were attacked in Derry when they answered an emergency call to the Shantallow area.
Meanwhile, the London Underground became the latest victim, with delays and disruption spelling misery for hundreds of thousands of commuters last night after an estimated 100 tube drivers refused to drive through deep tunnels on safety grounds.
In Glasgow, FBU members gave a rapturous reception to their leader, Mr Andy Gilchrist, who declared the strike "100 per cent solid". Mr Gilchrist said he would have "serious reservations" about any government move to allow untrained army personnel to use modern red fire engines idle during strike days.