MEMBERS of Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade Union remained tense and tight-lipped before today's talks on the "final" pay offer already rejected by their leaders.

The union executive yesterday unanimously recommended that members reject a 16 per cent pay offer over three years, branding it "unacceptable".

Local authority employers said the "exceptional offer" would increase firefighters' pay from the present £21,500 to £25,000 within the next 16 months.

Fire authorities made it clear that the offer, tabled at the conciliation service ACAS, went to the "absolute limits" of what they could afford and would need £30m of transitional Government cash.

The union executive decided to recommend rejection and seek an urgent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to try to resolve the crisis.

Steve Laugher, brigade secretary for the Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigades Union said the executives' recommendation might not necessarily be echoed by members.

"So far, it is only the executive that have rejected the deal. It doesn't necessarily mean there will be an outright rejection by everyone," he said.

"Today is the first real chance we'll have to see on paper what the proposals may be. There are lots of figures and ideas being bandied about at the moment, but we really want to see the facts before commenting further."

If the current deal was accepted, all qualified full-time firefighters would be earning £25,000 a year within 16 months.

The deal would also give retained, or part-time, firefighters the same hourly pay rate as their full-time colleagues.

But the pay package depends on the Fire Brigades Union agreeing to modernise the service.

"All firefighters, retained or otherwise, would like to see an end to the dispute as quickly as possible," said Pershore retained firefighter, Sub-officer Chris Parsons.

"The FBU want and should have a realistic deal for its members and one that can be practically implemented."