A LEADING Bolton fireman has said that firefighters are prepared to go on strike next week -- despite the possible outbreak of war with Iraq.

Ralph Twiss, the Bolton Fire Brigade Union representative, has hit out at claims that they were unpatriotic and were putting lives at risk by going on strike next Thursday.

He said that a quarter of the local workforce had served in the armed forces and were sympathetic -- but they could not accept the latest pay offer which he claims would damage working conditions.

Mr Twiss said: "It looks inevitable that we're going to strike next Thursday. The FBU will be meeting in Brighton next Wednesday to discuss the offer but it looks like it will be rejected by delegates.

"We've got a lot of ex-forces people who serve in the fire service, people who served in the last Gulf War and the Bosnian War. And we've got sons who are over in the Gulf at the moment. We don't want to go on strike, but we feel we've been manoeuvred into this action by employers.

"We're happy with the 16 per cent pay offer but we don't like the strings which are attached.