POLICE officers in Worcestershire look set to scoop large overtime payments in the wake of the firefighters' strike writes Guy Whitmore and Deborah Clarke-Sutton.

Officers at West Mercia have been asked to provide support for the Green Goddesses after their normal shifts so that they can escort the ageing vehicles - which are less mobile than normal fire engines - through traffic more quickly.

But West Mercia Police authority will not be asked to foot the bill for the overtime payments, instead central Govern-ment will pay for the extra police during the strikes, the first of which begin next Tuesday, October 29, and Wednesday, October 30.

They will be followed by another 48-hour strike and four further eight-day strikes planned for the run-up to Christmas.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said he could not comment on financial issues but said police would be guiding the Green Goddesses during the strike.

"As far as we're concerned we have been working closely with the Fire Service, together with the military, to put together emergency plans, and it is not anticipated that the arrangements will result in any impact on normal policing duties.

"The role of the police will be to guide military fire engines from their base to the location of any incident they may be require to attend."

He added the plans were designed to maintain public safety and the best possible level of service to local communities.

"We would stress that during any strike the 999 phone system will continue to work normally."

FBU general secretary Andy Gilchrist criticised the decision to spend millions of pounds providing cover during the strikes.

"It is unbelievable that they are prepared to spend millions of pounds to make something work which won't work, when they would be better off spending the money to help settle this dispute," he said.

The FBU is coming under pressure to promise to provide cover in the case of a large-scale emergency but at a meeting with Ministers yesterday to discuss cover in a crisis, Mr Gilchrist said there could be "no guarantees" that its members would help out in such circumstances.