FIREFIGHTERS broke their picket line within hours of the latest fire strike starting to help with a three-car motorway pile-up.

The crews raced to the scene of the accident on the M61 near Walton Summit, and helped soldiers free several people trapped in the vehicles.

Sub-officer Dennis McCann, from Chorley Fire Station, said: "While the soldiers are doing their best, they do not have the vast depth of training and experience regular firefighters have in these situations.

"We were able to speed up the operation without having to cut people free from the accident."

Elsewhere in East Lancashire, soldiers from the 21 Engineer Regiment, brought back from Germany to cover Lancashire, had a relatively quiet 24 hours on duty.

At 8.30pm, the crew based at Blackburn Territorial Army Barracks in Daisyfield were dispatched in their red fire engine, normally used to aid firefighter training, to a skip fire in Preston New Road.

At 12.30am today, the crew covering Hyndburn, and based at Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre, Union Road, were called to a minor house fire in Clement Street.

A spokesman for the army said: "When we arrived, everyone inside the house had already evacuated. There was minimal damage to an upstairs room where the fire had started.

"It took us nine minutes to get there and we spent about an hour there."

The 24-hour strike officially ended at 9am but the Fire Brigade Union is planning two 48-hour strikes from January 28 and February 1.

It is expected to call further walkouts over the next few months if an improved pay offer is not made.