HALTON firefighters walked out at 7am today to join colleagues across the country to mount a 24 hour strike.

It is the latest industrial action in their long running row with the Government over pensions.

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service has put contingency plans into place to cover the stoppage which runs until 7am tomorrow, Thursday, February 26.

Thousands of members of the Fire Brigades Union are expected to join a lunchtime rally in Westminster before lobbying MPs to support their campaign.

The union claims firefighters face the sack or a reduced pension if they fail fitness tests.

The union said improvements to pension arrangements had been made in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland but an “unworkable” scheme was being imposed by Westminster.

The FBU has accused fire minister Penny Mordaunt of misleading parliament after she told MPs that if a firefighter loses fitness through no fault of their own, they should get another role or a full, unreduced pension.

The union said fire authorities across the country had failed to back up the minister’s “guarantee”.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary said: “Firefighters are justifiably angry with how this Government is treating them.

“MPs, the public and firefighters were completely misled and given a false guarantee in order to pass the legislation. This is wrong.

“Firefighters will be protesting in parliament to make their voices heard.”

Chief Fire Officer, Paul Hancock, said: “It is important to highlight that the strikes being proposed relate to national issues rather than local ones and that action will only be taken by those staff that are members of the Fire Brigade’s Union.

“We do have plans and procedures in place that will enable us to continue to protect the communities of Cheshire during strike periods.

“However, we will have less fire engines available and so we would encourage everyone to take extra care both in the home and out and about on the roads, to keep themselves and their families safe.”

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “Strike action is unnecessary and appears to be over a point which is a vast improvement on the 2006 scheme which required firefighters to work to 60 with no protection.

“We have been clear that firefighters get an unreduced pension or a job and have changed the national framework through a statutory instrument to do so.

“If fire authorities do not produce processes which yield this the Secretary of State has said he will intervene.”